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SIX 



LITTLE COOKS 



OR 



AUNT JANETS COOKING 
CLASS 



Miss E^'srKIRKLAND 

Author of "Speech and Manners," "Dora's Housekeeping," "Short 
History of France," Etc. 



TENTH EDITION, 



CHICAGO 

A. C. McCLURG & CO. 

1900 




COPYRIGHT, 

JANSEN, McCLURG & CO., 

A. D. 1877. 



TO MY NIECES, 

CARRIE, LULU AND ETHEL, 

THIS LITTLE BOOK 

IS 

AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 



\ 



SIX LITTLE COOKS; 

OR, 

AUNT JANE'S COOKING CLASS 



FIKST DAY. 

'^Oli, Aunt Jane," said Grace, looking up quickly 
from the story-book she was reading, " I wish you would 
teach us all how to cook! '' 

But here am I, the author, plunging at once into the 
middle of my story without a word of explanation, not 
even a preface. Of course, no one can understand any- 
thing about it unless I go back a little, and tell you how 
it began. 

Aunt Jane had come to make a visit to Mrs. Yernon, 
Grace's mother, and had brought her own little girl. Amy, 
to spend the vacation. Next door lived Edith Lane, a 
very intimate friend of both the girls, and just across the 
street, Rose and Jessie Carroll, Grace's cousins ; and these 



6 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

five, with little Mabel Vernon, made a happy company 
who were almost always together. Mabel was just nine 
years old, and the others were from ten to twelve, so there 
was not difference enough in their ages to prevent their 
being the best of playmates. 

Well — as I began to say, Grace was reading about a 
wonderful little girl who made such remarkable things in 
the way of cakes and puddings, that our young person 
was seized with a desire to do likewise without delay. 
Aunt Jane was the kindest of aunts and the best of cooks, 
and Grace knew that if she would take the trouble to 
teach them, they would be well taught. 

" I should like that of all things," said she, in answer to 
Grace's exclamation, "provided your mother consents." 

''Oh, she'd be perfectly delighted," cried Grace; "she 
often says she wishes she had time to teach us herself." 

" Yery well, then; run and ask her if we may begin 
this afternoon." 

"And can't Rose and Jessie and Edith come too?" 
inquired Grace eagerly. " They all want to learn, just as 
much as I do." 

" Not quite so fast," said Aunt Jane, smiling. " Sup- 
pose we begin with those in the house first, and if it works 
well we can invite the others afterwards." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 7 

So Grace ran off to get her mother's answer, tripping 
over a footstool as she went, banging her head against 
the edge of the door in her haste to get round it, and 
catching her sleeve in a corner of the banisters. She 
always began everything with the same wild enthusiasm, 
but was somewhat apt to grow weary of the new em- 
ployment before she had thoroughly tried it. 

'' Yes, of course," she called out, while she was still on 
her way down stairs, " mamma says you couldn't do her 
a greater favor. May we begin now?" 

"I think we will wait until after dinner," said her 
aunt. " Then we shall not be interrupted, nor be in 
Rhoda's way." 

As it was summer, the family dined in the middle of 
the day, and as soon as propriety would allow, the im- 
patient children announced that they were ready. 

" But I think I see the need of some preparations first," 
said Aunt Jane. 

" Washing our hands ? Oh, Aunty, we all washed them 
just the last thing before dinner!" 

" And you ate your breakfast yesterday, but that didn't 
prevent your wanting it again this morning! The very 
last thing a neat cook does before she goes to work is to 



8 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

wash her hands and clean her nails carefully; and, not to 
disturb Rhoda more than is necessary, you may do it in 
your own rooms. But I see something else that is wanted 
— or rather, I donH see it, because it isn't here!'^ 

'' Oh, I know," said Mabel. "Aprons!" 

" But we haven't any," said Grace. " I never wear 
aprons with my calico dresses." 

" But an apron is almost as necessary for cooking — for 
neat cooking, I mean,— as a pair of hands. I have one 
in my trunk that will do for Amy, and you can borrow a 
couple more from your mother. To-morrow I'll get some 
gingham and make you each one; that is, if you should 
ever care to try it again." 

"Oh, Aunty!" and "Oh, mamma!" broke in chorus 
from three pairs of rosy lips. 

" Well — we shall see. And now there is one thing 
more I should like to have you do. Bring a little blank 
book, in which you can write down the recipes we try, 
and if any of them should prove not to be good, we'll 
cross them off without mercy." 

The book was quickly brought, and Grace wrote down 
from her aunt's dictation, as follows: 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 9 

No. 1. — Susan's Cake. 

Three cups flour, two of sugar, two-thirds of a cup of 
butter, one cup of sour milk, three eggs, one teaspoonfiil 
soda, two of cream tartar. Two cups seeded raisins, or 
one of well-washed currants, added, makes a deKcious 
fruit cake. 

No. 2. — ^Baked Custard. 
One quart milk, six eggs — omitting two whites — (five 
will do when they are scarce, and omit one white) — six 
tablespoonfuls granulated sugar, flavoring to taste. Bake 
in small cups. 

No. 3. — POPOVERS. 

One cup flour, one of milk, one egg, a piece of butter 
the size of a walnut, a pinch of salt. Bake in gem pans. 

" What a funny name. Aunty — ^popovers ! " exclaimed 
Mabel, when Grace had finished writing. 

" Perhaps you call them muffins here," replied her 
aunt, " but I like the old-fashioned name. At all events, 
I know they are very good." 

"Why do you call it Susan's cake, Aunt Jane? " asked 
Grace. 

^* Because our old German cook, Susan, showed me how 



10 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

to make it," said Mrs. King (by the way, Mrs. King was 
Aunt Jane's company name,) " and I never happened to 
meet with it anywhere else." 

"What next, Aunty?" 

" That will be enough for to-day. We will try all those, 
and if they do well you shall have some more next time. 
Now let us go down to the kitchen." 

Ehoda, the black cook, looked with some suspicion on 
the small army invading her precincts, but she knew by 
experience that the children were well-behaved and re- 
spectful, never giving unnecessary trouble or returning 
saucy answers if checked; so she made up her mind to 
bear the infliction with a good grace. 

" You shall make the cake, Grace, and Amy the cus- 
tard," said Aunt Jane. " Mabel may help you with these, 
now, and she and I will come again, just before tea, and 
attend to the popovers. Now begin by collecting what is 
named in your recipes." 

Every thing was soon neatly arranged on the large 
kitchen table, and Aunt Jane began her instructions. 
She told the girls to break the eggs with yolks and whites 
separate for the cake, together for the custard, and showed 
them how to do it neatly without mingling the two. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 11 

Tliose for the cake were to be beaten first, so as to use the 
same dishes for both, and not soil a second set. Each egg 
was to be broken by itself into a cnp first, before going to 
join its companions in the dish, as a single one carelessly 
thrown in when not perfectly fresh, might spoil the entire 
mixture. This is a rule it is never safe for the most skill- 
ful cook to neglect. 

" But what shall we do with the two extra whites that 
are left from the custard, Aunty? " asked Mabel. 

" Khoda will save them to clear the cofiee with,'' re- 
plied Mrs. King. ^' But if there were more we could 
easily use them in our cooking, for many nice things are 
made with the whites alone." 

When the eggs were beaten, one part to a yello^v^ cream 
and the other to a stifi* white froth, the sugar and butter 
were rubbed together, little by little, with a strong spoon. 
Then the yolk of egg was added and stirred until the 
whole was perfectly smooth. The cream tartar was 
thrown into the fiour, ready to be passed through the 
sieve, and then Aunt Jane told Grace to take a quarter 
cup of warm water (not boiling) to dissolve her soda in. 

" Some people throw the soda directly into the soui* 
milk," said she, " but it is a poor way, and accounts for 



12 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

the unpleasant little lumps of alkali we sometimes find 
in cake and biscuit. Mabel, while Gracie is putting her 
cake together, you may butter and warm the cake-tins, 
otherwise she would have to wait and do that first, for 
the cake musn't stand a minute longer than is necessary 
after the soda is once in." 

Then the whites of eggs were stirred in, all but the 
liquid remainder which had settled, and which was well 
beaten before being added, and the water containing the 
soda was carefully poured off into the sour milk, leaving 
the sediment in the bottom of the cup. The milk bubbled 
and foamed, as much as to protest against such doings, 
and would soon have overrun its bounds altogether, but 
that just at the critical moment it was tumbled into 
the rest of the mixture, a beautiful cataract of white 
foam. 

" It's for your own good, you know," said Grace, ad- 
dressing it. ^' It's to make you sweet." 

All else being ready, the flour was now sifted in, Grace 
stirring vigorously all the while. When the whole was 
smoothly mixed, the little tins were filled rather less than 
half full, and all set into the large dripping-pan to bake. 

" Anything so delicate as this might be injured by not 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 13 

being taken out the moment it was done/' said Aunt 
Jane, " so the best way is to do it all at once; besides 
which, it saves trouble." 

In the meantime, Amy had prepared her custard, ex- 
cept the flavoring. " What kind shall I put in, mamma?" 
said she. 

" Suppose we try some bitter almond to-day," answered 
her mother. " Nothing can be more delicious to those 
who like it, and I see your Aunt Nelly does, or she 
wouldn't have this great bottle of it in the pantry. One 
teaspoonful will do if it is as strong as it ought to be, and 
if we find it not enough, we can add more next time. 
It is always better to put too little of any flavoring or 
spice than too much." 

Another dripping-pan was brought and half filled with 
boiling water, which was ready in the teakettle, that the 
China cups might not be burnt. These were then filled 
to within a quarter of an inch of the top, set into the pan 
of hot water, and the whole placed in the oven. 

" Tour recipe doesn't say how long we must bake these 
things," said Grace. 

" There is very little use in giving any exact direction 
about that," answered her aunt. " Stoves vary so much 



14 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

that half an hour in one means the same as three quar- 
ters in another. I think this one will bake the cake in 
half an hour, and the custard in somewhat less, but we 
must watch them. There is no absolute rule but experi- 
ence." 

Aunt Jane was right, and everything was done to a 
turn, just as she predicted. "When the cakes were taken 
out they were placed on the sieve for a short time to cool. 
A little nutmeg — ^very little — was grated over the top of 
each custard, and all were set away in the dark pantry, 
out of the reach of flies and dust. About three-quarters 
of an hour before tea-time, Mrs. King showed Mabel, as 
she had promised, how to make the popovers. 

" I think we shall have to double this recipe," said she, 
" for it makes only twelve, and as we are eight at our 
table, with the boys, and shall want to leave some for 
Rhoda and the rest, we'll take two eggs, and so on." 

Then Aunt Jane told Mabel that the great point was 
to have her mixture perfectly smooth and without lumps, 
which would be done only by adding the milk very slowly 
to the flour, stirring constantly. The eggs, beaten to- 
gether without separating yolks and whites, went in last 
of all. Then half of the little straight-sided tins, buttered 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 15 

first, of course, and warmed, were filled less than half full, 
and pop they went into the oven. " They ought to bake 
in fifteen minutes," said Aunt Jane. 

And so they did. Tou ought to have seen those muf- 
fins, or popovers, or whatever else you like to call them, 
when they came out of that oven. How they had risen 
and over-topped their boundaries, and how they bulged 
out over the sides, and flowed about in waves of brown 
crust! Mabel fairly danced with delight, clapping her 
hands and throwing her arms round Aunt Jane's neck in 
an ecstasy of gratitude. In the meantime, Rhoda quietly 
filled the rest of the tins and set them in the oven to be 
ready when the second installment was called for. The 
three cooks marched into the supper-room in triumph, 
and when the excellent appetites of the family showed 
their full appreciation of what was set before them, you 
have seldom seen a prouder set of girls than ours were 
after their first day's efforts at cooking. 



16 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



SECOND DAT. 

What do you think was the first question Mrs. King 
heard the next morning, almost before she had opened 
her eyes? It was, " Oh, Aunt Jane, are we going to 
cook again to-day?" 

" Cook?" said Aunt Jane, sleepily, "cook what? Oh, 
yes, I remember. I can tell you better after I have had 
a cup of coffee. I never know anything before break- 
fast." 

She relented so far, however, as to tell Grace at the table, 
in order to set her mind at ease, that she thought it would 
be best to postpone the next lesson until another day, 
and devote her energies to the making of aprons. 

"One apiece will be enough," said she, "for you 
couldn't very well be in the kitchen on washing and iron- 
ing days; so when the apron is soiled it can be made 
clean in the early part of the week, and you can use it 
again in the latter part. Tou may go in and ask Aunt 
Carroll and Mrs. Lane if they would like to have their 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 17 

little girls join the cooking-club, and then we shall know 
how many aprons will be needed." 

There was not much doubt about the answer, but to 
make matters sure, all those invited came instantly rush- 
ing in, out of breath, to say that their mammas were 
very much obliged and when should they come and what 
should they bring with them and what kind of clotli 
would be needed for the aprons and how much? As all 
this was without a pause, of course the truthful historian 
is not allowed to introduce any punctuation. 

" Oh, I'll attend to all that," said Aunt Jane, as soon 
as she could get in a word. " The aprons shall be my 
present to the club. I'll go down town now and get the 
materials, and if you like, we'll have a sewing-bee after- 
wards, and you can help make them up. Many hands 
make light work, you know." 

Agreed to on all sides. 

Three pretty ginghams were chosen, two of each color, 
so that they could easily be distinguished; Mrs. King 
cut them out and ran them up on the sewing-machine, 
and the children finished them oflf under her direction. 
Good, serviceable aprons they were, high in the neck and 
coming down to the very bottom of the dress — loose and 



18 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

easy, yet not clumsy. They had sleeves gathered into a 
wristband and bnttoned at the wrist, so that in summer 
they could be worn without a dress, if desirable, while in 
winter they would cover a close sleeve. When the little 
circle were waiting for their work, Aunt Jane said: 

" While I am cutting out I'll tell you something, if 
you like, about what happened to me in one of my experi- 
ments in cooking when I was about Grace's age." 

Chorus of voices, " Oh, do, do! " 

" We lived in the country then, and my mother had a 
large family of young children, and was so burdened with 
cares that life was very hard for her. Half the time we 
could not get any servant, and it was only as a great favor 
that a woman would come now and then to help with the 
washing. As I was the oldest daughter, I was brought 
up to think it my business to do what I could to help 
along, and being strong and quite intelligent for my age, 
I really was of great use. One summer we had an un- 
usually fine crop of tomatoes in the garden, (tomatoes 
were not as common then as they are now, and were con- 
sidered a great treat,) and my overworked mother was 
lamenting that she could not make up a quantity of cat- 
sup, which my father was very fond of. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 19 

" ^ Let me do it, mamma/ I cried; ^ I know I could if 
you would just show me how.' 

"As there was nothing complicated about the recipe, my 
mother consented, and I had a whole day set apart for the 
business. First, I was obliged to go and gather the to- 
matoes, as no one else had time for it; and I was so deter- 
mined to do myself credit that I brought in one basketful 
after another until I had a wash-tub full. After that, 
they had to be looked over and cut up, and a variety of 
things put with them, — I don't remember exactly what, 
but it was a very troublesome recipe. The end was that 
I had a large wash-boiler filled vsdth the rich red mass, 
and it was set on the stove to boil. If I were doing the 
same thing now, I should divide the quantity into at least 
four parts and heat them in separate vessels; but I did 
not know what poor economy of time and trouble it is to 
cook too much of anything at once." 

" You hadn't any Aunt Jane to teach you," observed 
Jessie. 

"No; and my mother, who had the best practical good 
sense of any woman I ever saw, was in another part of 
the house taking care of a sick baby, and had to leave me 
to my own devices. As my catsup would of course take 



20 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

a long time even to ' come to a boil,' as it is called, there 
was no use in my standing in the hot kitchen watching it 
all the time, so I left a good fire under it and took my 
book out into the wood-shed, where it was cooler. I am 
sorry to be obliged to confess that at that time I was a 
regular bookworm, which I have since discovered to mean 
a person who selfishly pursues her own pleasure in read- 
ing, generally to the neglect of plain duties which are 
staring her in the face, if she would only raise her eyes to 
see them." 

" Oh, I know whom you mean. Aunt Jane," interrupted 
Grace, "just as well as if you said the name, though you 
are looking the other way so carefully!" 

" I made no personal remarks, Gracie; one bookworm 
is very much like another, as far as my observation goes. 
But, as I was saying, I took my book, which happened to 
be a delightful new story, (and story-books were very 
scarce witli me in those days), and was soon absorbed in 
it I don't know how long I read, but at last I thought 
of my tomatoes, and with the thought, or perhaps sug- 
gesting it, came a most powerful odor from the kitchen, 
which I knew betokened no good. Tlien I ran in fast 
enougli, and there was my great boiler full of toma- 
toes — " 



AUNT jane's OOOKING CLASS. 21 

"Burnt, Aunt Jane?" said Eose. 

" The lower layer burned almost to a crisp, and the 
whole mass so penetrated through and through with the 
offensive taste, that there was nothing to be done but lift 
off the boiler and turn the whole contents into the swill- 
pail! You may imagine the misery and mortification of 
that moment. My mother arrived on the scene at the 
same time, and I expected the reproaches I deserved; but 
she, remembering my patient toil through the early part 
of the day, and my good intentions, kindly tried to laugh 
it off, knowing that the consciousness of my failure would 
be punishment enough. * I have heard of " cooking by 
the book," ' said she, ' but I never saw it done exactly in 
that way before.' 

" We had no tomato catsup that year." 

"Oh, Aunt Jane, that was too bad!" exclaimed the 
chorus. " Do you think we shall ever do anything like 
that?" 

" Nothing quite so bad, I hope, but I wouldn't advise 
you ever to take a very interesting book into the kitchen 
with you. Time flies so fast when we are reading, that 
it isn't safe to trust ourselves." 

" What am I going to make first, Mrs. King? " inquired 
Edith. "And I, and I?" chimed in several other voices. 



22 ' SIXLITTLE COOKS. 

" I will give you some recipes to write down in your 
book," said Aunt Jane, " and then we can choose from 
among them. And as I don't think seven of ns at once 
would be very welcome in the kitchen, I propose that we 
should divide the club into two parts, only half of them 
to work at one time." 

Chorus of groans, " Oh, that won't be half so nice!" 

" I think it will be nicer," said Mrs. King. " If there 
are so many of us we shall only get in each other's way, 
and then think of the quantity of dishes we should 
use !" 

So it was settled that Eose, Edith and Grace should be 
the performers for the next afternoon, and in order that 
all might be quite ready, Mrs. King gave them the fol- 
lowing recipes, which they copied into their books: 

No. 4 — K. K.'s Wine Jelly. 

Dissolve one ounce of Cox's sparkling gelatine in a 
pint of cold water; then pour over it a quart of boiling 
water; add the grated rind of one lemon and the juice 
of three, half a pint of Sheny wine, a pinch of ground 
cinnamon, and sugar to taste. One-and-a-half pounds 
(or pints) of sugar will be enough for most palates. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 23 

No. 5 — Chocolate Cake. 

One cup butter, two of sugar, three and a half of flour, 
one scant cup sweet milk, five eggs, omitting two whites, 
one teaspoonful cream tartar, one-half do. soda, one do. 
extract vanilla. 

Meringue for the same. Beat the whites of the two 
eggs very light with one and a half cups powdered 
sugar; six tablespoonfuls grated chocolate, two teaspoon - 
fills vanilla. Put the meringue on while the cake is hot, 
and leave it in the pan to cool. 

" I don't see how any one can judge of what a ^ cup- 
full ' is, Aunt Jane," said Rose, " cups are of such differ- 
ent sizes. Papa's coffee-cup is a perfect monster, and 
mamma's tea-cup is a mite, small enough for a fairy." 

" Eatchen cups are not apt to vary much in size," re- 
plied Aunt Jane, " and those are what are taken as a 
measure. If there is a great difference, we should choose 
one of a medium size. Then, you must remember, that 
when there are several things measured in cups, they will 
be proportioned to one another; so if you find after one 
experiment that your cake has not enough eggs in pro- 
portion to the other ingredients, you will know that your 
cups are too large; if the egg is too predominating, it 



24r SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

will be because the cups ai-e too small ; so you will soon 
learn the happy medium." ^ 

" Besides," said Edith, " I suppose every little girl will 
have some grown person to show her about these things 
the first time, and then, after that she can remember. 
Won't you give us some more receipts, Mrs. King?" 

" Here they are," said Aunt Jane. " The next is " 

No. 6 — Sponge Cake. 

Ten eggs, three cups flour, three of sugar, juice and 
rind of one lemon, half a tea-cupful cold water. Beat 
the eggs separately, then add sugar and lemon to the 
yoU^s, then the whites, and lastly, sift in the flour. A tea- 
spoonful of baking-powder, dissolved in half a cup of 
cold water, is thought by many to be an improvement. 

No. 7 — Boiled Custard. 

One quart milk, six eggs, two teaspoonfuls vanilla 
extract; sweeten to taste. 

" Tliat's another thing I am sure would drive me dis- 
tracted," said Grace. " How can you know that sugar 
enough for your taste would be enough for anybody 
else's?" 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 25 

" Only by practice, my dear," answered lier aunt. 
" The amount of sugar some people require in custards 
and sauces is really sickish to others, and each cook must 
consult the wishes of her own family. But now let us 
go on to " 

No. 8 — Mock Sponge Cake. 

Six eggs, beaten one minute, whites and yolks to- 
gether, three cups sugar, beaten with the eggs for five 
minutes, one cup cold water, three teaspoonfuls baking 
powder, rind and juice of one lemon, nearly three cups 
flour. 

No. 9— Tipsy-Cake. 

Take either kind of sponge-cake, cut it into oblong 
pieces, stick it full of blanched almonds cut into slices, 
pour orer it as much wine as it will absorb, lay it in a 
glass bowl (if you have one), and pour over it the boiled 
custard for which the receipt is given above. 

No. 10 — Soft Custard. 

One quart milk, one tablespoonful corn-starch, two 
teaspoonfuls vanilla, five ounces sugar, three eggs, a pincli 
salt. 

" There's an exact amount of sugar," observed Edith. 



26 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

" That is taken from Mrs. Miller's receipt-book," said 
Aunt Jane, " and she is always exact about everything. 
But I think these will do for to-day, and you may come 
in to- morrow, as soon as Ehoda's dinner dishes are out 
of the way." 

At the appointed time our three little women, with 
Aunt Jane at their head, proceeded to the kitchen, in the 
newest of aprons, the cleanest of hands and the gayest of 
spirits. 

" I think it would be a good plan to make something 
to-day in the way of a dessert," said Mrs. King; " that 
will be nice to have cold for dinner to-morrow." 

" Oh, do let us make tipsy-cake," said Grace. " I love 
tipsy-cake! Don't you. Aunt Jane? " 

" I generally save my love for my friends," replied her 
aunt, laughing, '' but I like tipsy-cake very much. You 
may make the custard, Grace, and Rosy the cake; and as 
your mamma said she wanted some jelly to send to some 
poor sick women, Edith shall try her hand at that." 

"Which kind of sponge-cake shall I make?" asked 
Rose, " the mock or the other? " 

" Either is very good, but I think to-day we will make 
the simpler kind, as it is only to put in custard. That is 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 27 

a very good way, too, to use sponge or any other kind of 
liglit cake that has grown a little dry. Take one of those 
yellow dishes to stir the cake in; it is never as well to nse 
tin for any such purpose. Edith, I had your gelatine 
put to soak before dinner, or it would not have been ready 
now. That is something one must always think of be- 
forehand. Don't break the whites and yolks separately 
for the custard, Grace; and set the tea-kettle into the 
stove, so that the water will be boiling when you need it. 
That is one thing which should always be ready for use 
in the kitchen. One must have plenty of hot water.'' 

" What do I want hot water for, Aunt Jane? " 

" Oh, didn't I tell you? Any thing in which milk and 
flour or milk and eggs are to be boiled together, has to be 
very carefully treated to prevent its getting lumpy. We 
always set the vessel in which custard is to be made, into 
another containing boiling water; or, what is still better, 
have one that will fit into the top of the other, and so 
heat it by the steam." 

" How long shall I beat the eggs? " asked Grace. 

'' I think you have whipped them long enough — 
they don't require much beating for custard. Let me see 
how they look. If there is the least suspicion of an 



28 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

^eye' in them they must be stramed; but these seem all 
right. Now stir in the sugar and vanilla, and then pour 
slowly into the warm milk, and keep stirring until it is 
as thick as good rich cream. How I wish my garden 
were near enough for me to step in and get you a hand- 
ful of fresh peach leaves! " 

"What would you do with them, Aunt Jane?" said 
Rose. 

" I would boil them in the milk first, or rather, not let 
it actually come to a boil, but just heat them together to 
bring out the taste of the peach leaves, and then let it 
cool before stirring in the eggs. I think there is no 
flavor more delicious." 

Then Mrs. King showed Edith how to make her jelly, 

first rolling the lemons on the table, so as to break up the 

hard inner walls and squeeze out the juice more easily. 

''Tou may leave out the cinnamon," she said; "as the 

jelly is for sick people, they might not relish tlie taste. 

When it is ready, you must dip the flannel bag you are 

going to strain it through into hot water and wring it out 

as dry as possible, so that the jelly may run through 

easily." 

" Shan't I squeeze the jelly-bag a little? " asked Edith, 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 2^ 

when the operation was about half over " It seems to run 
through so slowly." 

"Not unless you want the jelly to be thick and oiuddy- 
looking. You mustn't even shake it. Leave it in a 
warm place, and all will run through that ought to. In 
the meantime, if you want something to do, you may 
blanch the almonds for the tipsy-cake." 

Mrs. King then showed her how to do this, by putting 
the shelled nuts into boiling water until the wrinkled 
brown skin would rub off easily, after which it was easy 
to cut them into thin slips ready to garnish the cake. 

The jelly ran through at last, though Edith iirmly be- 
lieved it never would, and was beautifully clear. Then 
it was poured into several small moulds and set away in 
the ice-box, as the weather was w^arm. In winter, the 
pantry would have done very well. The sponge-cake 
looked light and spongy, and the custard was as smooth 
as fresh cream, but Aunt Jane said it would be better to 
leave them separate until just before dinner, and then dip 
the cake in wine and pour the custard over it, as other- 
wise it might become too soft and lose its sliape. Need 
I say that the dessert was excellent, and tliat the sick peo- 
ple enjoyed their jelly? 



30 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



THIEDDAT. 

" To-day it is the little ones' turn/' said Aunt Jane the 
next morning. " What nice things can we contrive for 
them to do?" 

" Something easy, please," said Mabel, who was a timid 
little thing, and hadn't much confidence in herself. 

" Something nice," said Jessie, who was a year older 
and twice as ambitious. "Just as good as what the big 
girls make." (The big girls, by the way, were of the 
venerable ages of eleven and twelve.) 

1' Something that my mamma chooses," said Amy, 
'' and then it will be sure to be good." 

" I shall try to please you all," said Aunt Jane, patting 
her little daughter's soft cheek. " Amy can make some 
Daisy cake for tea, eTessie shall try her hand at a cherry- 
pudding for dinner, and Mabel may undertake the sauce. 
Now you may write down the recipes." 

No. 11 — Cherry Pudding-. 
Two cups milk, one tablespoon butter, two eggs, two 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 31 

teaspoonfuls cream tartar, one of soda, tkree light pints 
flour, or enougli to make a stiff batter, one quart cherries, 
measured after stemming. Boil or steam two hours. 

No. 12 — Beery Pudding. 

The same recipe as for No. 11, substituting berries for 
cherries. 

No. 13 — Daisy's Cake. 

Three eggs, half a pint sugar, half a pint flour, two 
tablespoonfuls sweet milk, one teaspoonful baking powder, 
rind and juice of one lemon. 

No. 14 — CREAi^rY Pudding-Sauce. 

Half a pound brown sugar, a quarter of a pound butter, 
four tablespoonfuls sweet cream, juice and rind of one 
lemon. 

" First we will attend to the pudding, as that takes the 
longest to cook," said Aunt Jane. " Amy, you may beat 
the eggs and grate and squeeze the lemon for your cake; 
Mabel may pick the cherries off their stems, and see that 
every one is perfectly clean — no scrap of a leaf or any- 
thing else sticking to it — and Jessie can begin upon the 
pudding." 



32 SIXLITTLECOOKS 

" What is a 'light pint/ Aunt Jane?" said Jessie. 

"A pint not pressed down very hard. One of the 
first things you have to learn is just how to measure 
flour. It musn't be packed too hard, or your cake will 
be hard too; it musn't be put in too lightly, or the cake 
will fall and be heavy and ' soggy.' It must be pressed 
down just hard enough, and that you'll soon learn how 
to do." 

" I don't see any half-pint measure here, mamma," said 
Amy. 

"A common tumbler holds half a pint; not one of 
those that slant in towards the bottom, but one that goes 
down straight, like this. Now, Jessie, you may warm 
the butter a little, so that it will stir easily into the milk. 
We need not be as particular not to melt it as we are in 
making cake. Dissolve the soda in a quarter of a tea- 
cup of warm water — ^not boiling, remember, or you 
destroy its strength — measure your flour and put the 
cream tartar into the sieve with it, so that it may be 
thoroughly mixed." 

"Can't you ever use flour without sifting. Aunt Jane?" 
asked Jessie, who was not fond of taking extra trouble. 

" Never, if you want to be sure of having things nice," 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 33 

said her aunt. " In the first place, you often find scraps 
of other things in the flour, like little sticks or straws; 
and then the sifting makes it much easier to mix with 
any liquid, and less liable to be lumpy. Now beat the 
eggs — not very long — and then stir all together, putting 
the flour in last. Ah! your pints must have been a little 
too light; that is not quite what is called a stifi" batter; 
we must put in a little more. There, that will do. Now 
stir it in very thoroughly, putting in the cherries gradu- 
ally.'' 

" What's that funny-looking thing for, Aunt Jane?" 
asked Jessie. 

" That is called a form, and is to pour the pudding 
into. In old times, before such things were known, we 
used either to bake our batter-puddings in the oven, or 
make them stifi' enough to tie in a cloth. This is a great 
improvement." 

The batter was now poured mto the form, (which was 
previously well buttered,) leaving a little room for it to 
swell in, and the form, after being tightly closed, was 
plunged into the kettle of boiling water ready to receive 
it. " Now we can forget all about it for two hours," 
said Aunt Jane, " except that we must be sure not to let 



34 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

the water boil away so that any part of the form is left 
uncovered. Now, Amy dear, for your cake." 

Amy had the eggs beaten and every thing measured 
out, so there was nothing to do but put it together, 
which was a very simple matter, there being no butter. 
First the sugar and yolks were beaten up, then the lemon 
was added, then the milk; afterward a little flour (sifted 
with the baking-powder) and a little white of egg alter- 
nately, until all was in. 

"This can be baked in one large cake or in the little 
gem-tins, just as you please. Amy," said her mother. 
""Whichshallitber 

"Oh, the little ones, please! They look so cunning, and 
then it seems so much more when there are a good many 
of them!" 

"Very well; you may butter the tins and fill them 
half full, then put them all into one pan, as we did the 
first day. Are you almost tired of waiting for your turn, 
Mabel?" 

" Oh, no," said Mabel, " I love to look on and see 
the girls doing these things." 

" We must get out the scales for your ^ creamy sauce,' 
and you can learn how to weigh things. We will take 



AUNT jane's cooking GLASS. 35 

the sugar first, because that will not soil anything. And 
that reminds me of a suggestion I saw in an excellent 
receipt-book lately, that there should be paper bags ready 
to slip sugar and flour and such dry things into after they 
were weighed and measured, so as to save using so many 
dishes. I thought it would be a good plan to try it." 

" Shall we make some bags, aunty?" 

"No, I think we need not do that if Ehoda mil save 
us some of those that are sent from the grocers. They 
are usually only burnt up. Now take a good large bowl 
for beating your pudding- sauce in, so that you won't be 
afraid of spattering anything. You must stir the butter 
to a cream flj^st with the smallest-sized wooden spoon, 
then add the sugar, little by little, and afterward the 
cream, beating them all the while until they are as light 
as possible. The lemon goes in last. Some people put 
a little wine, but I think we'll do without that. Now 
we will just take off the cover of the tea-kettle and set 
the bowl into it. After a while it will all be melted to- 
gether into a thick, creamy froth, and then it may be 
taken off, but it must not be allowed to get cool until it 
is served. You must ask Ehoda to keep it in a warm 
place, and then just heat it up the last thing before she 



36 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

sends in the pudding, but not boil it. Pudding sauces 
should never boil." 

" Do just see how Mabel has spelt ' recipe ' on the 
cover of her book!" said Grace, who had just come in 
and was spying around. "Ressipy-book!" 

"That's a very natural mistake," said Aunt Jane 
kindly, " and it isn't quite polite in you to laugh at her. 
She spells it as it sounds. When I was a little girl 
nobody said anything but receipt-books; now that 
' recipe ' seems to be the fashion, I liave adopted it, but I 
find myself quite as often speaking of ' receipts,' and I 
think there is something to be said in its favor. How- 
ever, the main point is to find out whether the dishes 
made after our recipes are good. Mabel has plenty of 
time yet to learn how to spell them." 

When the pudding came on the table, attended by its 
foaming sauce, there was a general murmur of approba- 
tion ; but after everybody had been helped, and had eaten 
the first spoonful, the murmur changed to many-voiced 
applause. 

"Really remarkably good," said papa; "you don't 
mean to say that my little Mabel actually made this 
sauce? Mabel, I see you are destined to be the support 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 37 

of your father's gray hairs. What shall we do to reward 
these industrious cooks?" 

"I know what I wish you would do," said Grace; "but 
I'm afraid you won't." 

"No harm in telling what it is," said her mother. 
" Perhaps we will." 

" Let us make some candy this afternoon, and ask all 
the other girls to come in," said Grace, boldly, looking 
out of the corners of both eyes at once, to see the effect 
of her proposition. 

" I think you might better ask Aunt Jane first if she 
chooses to spend the afternoon as well as the morning in 
your instruction." ^ 

" Aunt Jane would like the fun as well as any body," 
observed that obliging relative. 

" Then, as this happens to be Rhoda's afternoon out, 
and you can have the kitchen all to yourselves, I, — think, 
— perhaps, — you, — may ! " 

Chorus of " Oh, good, good; that's perfectly splendid! " 

"Aunt Jane, do you know how to make caramels?" 

"And cream candy?" 

"And cocoanut drops? " 

"And butter-scotch?" 



38 SIXLITTLE COOKS. 

"And tafij?'' 

''And chocolate creams? '' 

" Well, I must saj," said Mrs. King, laughing, " you 
are very moderate in your demands. Yes, I know how 
to make all those and ever so many more; but we won't 
undertake to exhaust my knowledge in this one after- 
noon. Get your books, and I will write down some of 
the most favorite recipes." 

No. 15 — Chocolate Caeamels. 

Half a pint milk, one and a half ounces (or squares) of 
Baker's unsweetened chocolate, softened over the fire 
with as little water as possible; let the milk boil, then 
stir in the chocolate very hard, add half a pint granulated 
sugar and two tablespoonfuls molasses ; boil until very 
thick, taking great care not to burn it, pour on well-but- 
tered tins, and when partly cold cut it into small squares. 

No. 16 — Chicagk) Caramels. 

One cup chocolate, (measure after breaking into small 
lumps,) one of boiled milk, two of brown sugar, one of 
molasses, one tablespoonful flour and one of melted but- 
ter; boil slowly, until it will stiffen in cold water. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 39 

N"o. 17 — CocoANUT Dkops. 

Grate a cocoanut, take half its weight in sugar, beat 
the white of one egg to a stiff froth, and stir with it 
enough of the cocoanut and sugar, well mixed together, 
to make into small cakes, which should be baked on but- 
tered paper, in a very moderate oven. If any cocoanut 
is left over, beat another egg and stir in the rest. 

No. 18 — Cbeam Candy. 

One pound granulated sugar; one-half teaspoonful 
cream tartar, one wine-glass vinegar; water enough to 
wet the sugar; flavor to taste with lemon or vanilla. 
Boil until it will harden in cold water, but not become 
brittle; it must be tried frequently; then pour into plates, 
and when nearly cold, pull until it becomes white. If 
you do not wish to take this trouble, a very good candy 
can be made by pouring it into a pan and leaving it to 
harden. 

No. 19 — Chocolate and Cream Candy. 

One pound sugar, water enough to moisten it; boil 
until it becomes sugary when stirred in a saucer without 
water; then take it off the stove and stir until nearly 



40 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

hard. To half the quantity add one ounce grated choc- 
olate, which you must stir in a separate dish; when near- 
ly cold spread the chocolate candy smoothly out in a 
deep, square pan, well buttered, and the white over it, 
when cold they will adhere to each other. 

No. 20— Soft Candy. 

One pound brown sugar, three tablespoonfuls water; 
while boiling add a quarter of a pound butter; when 
thick and ropy, take it from the fire and stir till it grains; 
then pour into buttered plates. For nut candy make the 
above recipe, stirring in nuts while it is still over the fire. 

No. 21 — MoRRisviLLE Candy. 

One pound cofiee sugar, one-half pint New Orleans 
molasses, one-half pint water, two teaspoonfuls butter, 
one of soda; stir all together and boil till it thickens; 
when sufficiently boiled it will be waxy. 

No. 22— EvERTON Taffy. 

One and a half pounds brown sugar, three ounces but- 
ter, one and a half teacups cold water. Boil all together 
with the grated rind of one lemon, and when cold add 
the juice. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 41 

No. 23 — Maple Chocolate Balls. 

Crack half a pound maple sugar into small bits, and 
melt it with a wine-glassful of cold water; when perfectly 
dissolved let it boil hard for five minutes; while the sugar 
is boiling, crack the chocolate and put it in a bowl over 
a boiling tea-kettle; when the sugar is boiled, take it 
from the fire, put it in a cool place, and beat so stifi" that 
it may be made into balls; flour the hands slightly, and 
roll into balls of the size of a marble, placing each one, 
as done, on a buttered plate; when hard, drop them one 
at a time in the chocolate; turn them carefully with a 
fork until covered with the chocolate, then place them on 
buttered paper to cool and harden. 

No. 24 — Molasses Candy. 

One cup molasses, one cup sugar, two tablespoons 
melted butter, one do. vinegar; boil without stirring until 
it hardens in cold water, then stir in a teaspoonful soda 
and pour on buttered tins; when cool, pull and cut into 
sticks. Never stir molasses candy while it is boiling. 

No. 25 BuTTER-ScOTCH. 

One-half cup butter, one of molasses, one of sugar, a 



42 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

pinch of soda; boil awhile, then try by dropping a little 
into water; if crisp, it is done. 

" We made some last winter by a receipt almost ex- 
actly like that," said Eose, " and it was perfectly awful. 
It never got hard at all." 

"What kind of molasses did yon nse?" asked her annt. 

" I don't know; whatever we happened to have." 

"Ton mnst always take Porto Eico molasses for 
candy. We'll try some with that this afternoon, and I 
think yon won't complain of it. Now here is one that I 
think is the best of all." 

No. 26 — Chocolate Ckea]?^is. 

Take one pound cut loai sugar, water to moisten it well, 
one even teaspoonful cream tartar. Boil without stirring 
until it threads, (I try it by dipping a spoon into the 
boiling syrup and then into cold water, then, taking the 
cooled sugar between my finger and thumb, see if it 
makes a string.) Then take from the fire and let it 
stand for ten minutes. Now add one teaspoonful vanilla, 
and with a silver tablespoon beat the syrup one way till it 
becomes opaque. When cool enough to handle, roll into 
small-sized marbles, and place on a buttered plate. If 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 43 

the sugar crumbles before all are made, add a few drops 
of warm water, or stand it over steam. 

While the cream is cooking, take one-fourth pound 
sweet chocolate and place in a tin plate over steam. Do 
not stir it. If not flavored, add one teaspoonful vanilla 
after it is melted. Leaving this in a warm place, take 
each ball of the cream, and with a silver spoon roll it in 
the melted chocolate ; then lay on a buttered plate and 
set in a cool place. 

Another way : Melt the chocolate half at a time, 
cover the bottom of a plate with it, and while it is cooling 
make the cream; spread this over the chocolate and then 
cover with another coat of the latter. Cut into small 
squares when cool. The only trouble in making the 
cream is to cook it just enough. If the sugar grains it 
is cooked too much ; if it cannot be handled it is not 
cooked enough. If spoiled it cannot be boiled over 
again, but is nice mixed among English walnuts. 

"How delicious it looks," exclaimed Edith, gazing 
into the sauce-pan where the cream candy, which they 
decided on trying first, was slowly boiling. 

" I think it will be good," said Aunt Jane. "But I 
must warn you not to be disoppointed if you don't suc- 
ceed well the first time you try it, nor the second. It is 



44 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

SO entirely a matter of judgment to know just how long 
to boil it, just when it has reached the exact point of 
' sugariness ' that it really needs long practice before you 
can do it without a mistake.'^ 

" It seems to me you do nothing but try it," said 
Grace, as she saw her aunt for the dozenth time drop a 
little of the boiled sugar into a saucer, and, after stirring 
it awhile, pour it back again. " I shouldn't have the 
patience to do that so many times." 

" Then you will never be a successful candy-maker," 
said her aunt very decidedly. 

By this time the acetic acid had arrived, and the much- 
desired chocolate creams were begun. " Be sure," said 
Aunt Jane, while the chocolate was melting, " to stir it 
only by constantly rubbing it one way, against the side of 
the pan. Don't stir it round and round. The main body 
of it should be disturbed just as little as possible." 

" Why wouldn't it do to use vanilla chocolate," said 
Rose, " and not put the vanilla in separately? " 

" Because, in the first place, it would be very expensive, 
and then you don't want sweetened chocolate to make 
candy of. Melting the sugar in it while it is cooking, is 
an important part of the process. Now, I think it will 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 45 

be firm enough. Suppose we try a ball, and if it is not, 
we can boil it a little more." 

But it was, and as it was necessary to keep it liquid, 
the pan was set over hot water at the back of the stove, 
the result being a most inviting-looking dishful of brown 
figures of various sorts ; for the girls, in defiance of the 
recipe, had exercised their taste in making cones, lozenges, 
pipe-stems ana various fancy shapes, the rich liquid giv- 
ing an impartial coating to all. 

" There's only one fault to be found with these things," 
said one of the boys, as he devoured the share which had 
been assigned to him, " there are not enough of them." 



46 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



FOURTH DAT. 

^' Girls, let ns give them all a surprise to-morrow/' 
whispered Aunt Jane mysteriously one evening. " Sup- 
pose we ask Ehoda to let us cook the breakfast.'' 

" All by ourselves? " asked Mabel with large eyes. 

" All by ourselves ! That will be the joke of it. How 
astonished your papa and mamma will be to see a breakfast 
that their o^vn little daughters have prepared for them ! 
They will think we are getting on famously." 

So they all stole out to the kitchen, and finding Ehoda 
in a good humor, the plan of operations was soon made. 
The recipes were as follows: 

No. 27— Veal Hash. 

Cut off every scrap of fat, gristle and skin from the 
veal, chop rather fine, and heat together with a small 
lump of butter, a little milk or cream, and salt and pepper 
to taste. When done there should be no liquid visible. 
Serve on toast, which should be dipped in boiling water as 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 47 

fast as toasted, and immediately buttered. Set in the 
oven or heater until the last moment, as it is very poor 
when cold. When served for dinner, the dish may be 
garnished with slices of lemon. 

No. 28 — Lexington Avenue Potatoes. 

Chop cold boiled potatoes as fine as for corned beef 
hash. Put them in a sauce-pan with a lump of butter and 
milk or cream enough to cover them ; add a little chopped 
parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the milk 
is quite absorbed, and serve hot. 

No. 29 — ^Elmhuest Johnny Cake. 

One and a half cups corn meal, half a cup of rice, two 
eggs, two tablespoonfuls sugar, two heaping do. of butter, 
three heaping do. of flour, one cup milk, thi-ee teaspoon- 
fuls baking powder. Scald the meal until every particle 
of it has been wet by the boiling milk, then add the rice, 
and afterward the other ingredients. 

No. 30 — Plain Omelette. 

Take one egg for every two persons at table; beat them 
well with a pinch of salt and a little parsley; for four 
eggs a frying pan about the size of a dinner plate will be 



/ 



48 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

required. Put a tablespoonfiil of butter into tlie pan, 
and when this is melted pour in the omelette. The mo- 
ment it begins to cook raise the edge (which will be done 
first) with a knife, and as soon as the whole is " set " so 
that no liquid part remains, fold it together and serve. 
If more than this is required, it will be best to make two 
omelettes. 

" Now I am going to get Rhoda's directions for coffee," 
said Aunt Jane, " for I don't know any one else who 
makes it quite so nicely. You must tell us your secret, 
Rhoda." 

""Why, laws, honey," said Ehoda, highly flattered, "I 
jus' take 'nuf coffee and stir it up with an egg or two, 
'cordin' as I happen to have 'em, and put 'bout as much 
water to it as I think they'll drink, and let it bile till its 
done. That's all." 

" Well, Aunt Jane," said Grace, very gravely, " I sup- 
pose I am to write down Rhoda's recipe. Number 31. 
About enough coffee, some hot water, as many eggs as 
you happen to have, stir it all up together, and let it boil 
till its done. Is that it?" 

" I think, perhaps, I can make it a little more definite, 
and easier for other people to understand," said Aunt 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 49 

Jane, "but I'm afraid I shan't be able to put Rlioda's 
judgment into the receipt-book. The reason why so many 
people make poor coffee is that they never find out just 
how much coffee to put to just how much water, nor ex- 
actly how long to boil it. Another thing that you are 
almost sure to find where the coffee is bad, is that the 
coffee-pot is not thoroughly emptied, washed and scalded 
after each using. I have known cooks who never even 
threw out the grounds of the day before until they 
wanted to use the coffee-pot again for breakfast! Now 
look at the inside of Rhoda's. You see it has not only 
been emptied and washed, but wiped perfectly dry, so 
there will be no old, stale taste to mingle with the fresh 
one. I will give you my recipe, which means the same 
as Rhoda's." 

No. 31 — To Make Coffee. 

One quart boiling water, half a pint ground coffee, one 
egg, half a pint cold water; mix the cofiee first with the 
egg, ( which should not be beaten,) then with the cold 
water very thoroughly; put it in the coffee boiler, pour 
on the boiling water and let it boil fifteen or twenty min- 
utes, then set it where it will not boil, and throw in one- 



50 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

half gill of cold water. After standing a moment it will 
be ready to serve. This makes very rich coffee. If it is 
desired less strong, take less coffee, and cold water in 
proportion. 

'^How much is a gill, mamma?" asked Amy. 

"A gill is a quarter of a pint; half a tumblerful, or 
about two small wine-glassfuls," said her mother. " A 
half gill may be measured by putting four even table- 
spoonfuls of water into a cup and noticing how high they 
come up. Then you will always have your measure at 
hand." 

"Is that all we are going to have for breakfast?" in- 
quired Grace. 

"Touwill think it is quite enough when you have 
done cooking it, Gracie. It is rather an elaborate break- 
fast. Now if two of you will run and slip on your cook- 
ing aprons, we will begin our preparations to-night. We 
should have to get up almost too early if we should try 
to do it all in the morning." 

Grace and Amy were ready in a twinkling, and while 
one chopped the cold potatoes left from dinner, the other 
prepared the veal, and cut it into small lumps ready for 
mincing. "When the potatoes were done, the veal took 



ATJNT jane's cooking CLASS. 51 

their place in the chopping- bowl, and after being minced 
was mixed with a little salt and pepper, and set away in 
the ice-box for the night. 

Bright and early the next morning, the four conspira- 
tors, (as Grace called them, because their movements 
were so secret,) repaired softly to the kitchen, where 
Ehoda had a good clear fire. Grace set about the Johnny- 
cake, while Amy ground the coffee, and Mabel beat up 
the eggs for an omelette. 

" Tou see, Ehoda keeps her roasted coffee in a glass 
jar," said Aunt Jane. " That is an improvement on the 
old way of shutting it up in tin canisters, which are much 
more apt to acquire a stale odor." 

" Do the glass jars come on purpose? " asked Amy. 

" No, they are meant for preserves, but the reason they 
are so good for this purpose is that they can be closed up 
tightly from the air. You see this one can't be opened 
without the wrench." 

When the Johnny-cake went into the oven, Grace took 
charge of the veal and potatoes at the back of the stove, 
while the little girls toasted bread at the front. When 
all else was ready to dish, Mabel turned her omelette into 
the spider, and it was done in a few minutes and sent in 



62 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

to the table smoking hot. Then the girls went to their 
rooms to wash their hands and take off their aprons, but 
their flushed faces betrayed at the breakfast table that 
something unusual had taken place. 

" What gave you all such rosy cheeks? " inquired Mr. 
Yernon. " Tou must have been snowballing, or doing 
something of tliat kind.'' 

" Give you three guesses to find out. Papa,'' said Grace, 
^* and if you don't guess rightly you can't have any break- 
fast." 

" Jumping two hundred and fifty times from the roof 
of the coal-shed down to the ground," said her father. 

"No, not that. Oh, how far off you are! You're not 
even warm." 

" Running races with the steam-cars, to see which 
could travel a mile in the shortest time." 

" "Wrong again ! Why papa, you're perfectly freezing." 

" Well, as my breakfast is to depend on it," said her 
faihw, ''I think it won't be safe for me to risk another 
g-uess. I'll turn over my third one to mamma." 

It is to be feared that mamma may have received a 
hint from a glance of Aunt Jane's eyes, for she suggested 
quite promptly: 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 53 

" Cooking the breakfast." 

" Eight at last! And what do you think of it, now you 
know who did it?" 

" I think it looks superior to any thing tliey have at 
Delmonico's, but you don't mean to say you made this 
coffee?" 

" Yes we did — every drop of it! Ask Aunt Jane if 
we didn't." 

" I'll tell you what it is," said Mr. Yernon, '^ I believe 
there's some hocus-pocus about this matter. Tour Aunt 
Jane gets behind you some how or other, and takes hold 
of your hands, just as we do of baby's when we make her 
write a letter; and you get the idea that you have done 
the whole thing yourselves." 

" No, no, no ! It's all honest Indian. She doesn't come 
near us. She just sits at one end of the table and tells 
us what to do, and we do it. She never touches a thing." 

" I think Aunt Jane deserves a gold medal," said Mr. 
Vernon. 

" I wish we could do something by ourselves this after- 
noon, without troubling her," said Grace. " Don't you 
think we are enough advanced now, mamma?" 

" I suppose you might make something very simple. 
How would ginger-snaps do, for instance?" 



54 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

" Oh, that would be capital !" exclaimed Grace. " We 
haven't had any ginger-snaps in an age. Are they hard 
to make, Aunty? " 

"Not at all hard to mix up, but they require a good 
deal of patience to roll and cut out. However, I don't 
suppose you would mind thaf 

" Oh, the longer it took the better I should like it! I 
want to make a good large panful. Please give me the 
receipt." And Grace drew out her note-book and pencil, 
which, with a variety of other stores, she always kept at 
hand in her pocket, 

" Do let your aunt finish her breakfast in peace!" said 
Mr. Yernon. " I won't have her plagued all the time. 
By and by, Grace, you can attack her again, but now let 
us think of something else." 

Aunt Jane did not wait to be attacked. After break- 
fast she gave the girls, of her own accord, the recipes 
which follow. 

No. 32 — Ginger Snaps. 

One cup butter or lard; if only lard is used add a little 
salt. One and a half cups molasses, one cup sugar, a 
quarter of a cup sour milk, two teaspoonfuls soda, two 
do. ginger, flour enough to roll easily. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 55 

No. 33 — German Puffs. 

Take six eggs, leaving out three whites, one pint milk, 
five tablespoonfuls flour, one of softened butter. Bake 
in gem pans. Whip the whites of the eggs; afterward 
stir in the juice of six oranges and half a pound pow- 
dered sugar. When the puffs are done, pour the frosting 
all over them. 

No. 34 — Dover Cake. 

One pound sugar, one do. flour, one-half do. butter, 
six eggs, half cup milk, half teaspoonful soda. 

No. 35 — Hekry Clay Cake. 

One pound flour, one do. sugar, one ounce butter, one- 
half pint cream, one teaspoon soda, juice and rind of one 
lemon, one-third of a grated nutmeg. For some tastes 
the nutmeg is better omitted. 

No. 36 — Lemon Cake. 

One pound flour, one do. sugar, one-half do. butter, 
one small teacup milk, small teaspoonful soda, four eggs, 
mix as usual; the last thing before putting in the oven, 
stir in the juice of a large fresh lemon. 



56 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

No. 37— Tudor Caxe. 

Two cups sugar, one-half cup butter, one cup milk, 
three cups flour, three eggs, one teaspoon soda, two cream 
tartar. 

No. 38 — Mother's Cookies. 

One cup butter, two of sugar, three well-beaten eggs, 
a quarter of a teaspoonful soda, half a nutmeg, small 
half-teaspoonful cloves or cinnamon. 

No. 39 — ^Ellen's Cookies. 

Three-quarters of a cup lard, the same of butter, one 
cup milk, one teaspoon soda, rind and half the juice of 
one lemon, just enough flour to roll it out with. Yery 
rich. 

No. 40 — ^Plain Cookies. 

One pound flour, one-half do. sugar, six oz. butter, 
three eggs, one teaspoon soda, a little nutmeg or other 
spice. If richer cookies are desired take one-half pound 
butter. 

No. 41 — Bridget's Cookies. 
Two cups sugar, one do. butter, one do. milk, two 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 57 

eggs, two even teaspoons soda, four of cream tartar; spice 
if you like it; enough flour to roll easily. 

No. 42 — Poor Man's Cake. 

One cup sugar, two do. flour, one do. milk, one heap- 
ing tablespoonful butter, one small teaspoon soda and 
two of cream tartar, one egg, one-half teaspoonful mixed 
cinnamon and cloves. Half a cup of seeded raisins im- 
proves it. 

Kg. 43 — ^RiNG Jumbles. 

One pound butter, one do. sugar, one and a quarter of 
flour, four eggs. Two tablespoonfuls of any kind of 
flavoring, or a small wineglass of rosewater. Cream the 
butter, add the sugar, then the yolks of eggs, then half 
the flour, then the whites, then the rest of the flour, 
stirred lightly. Cut out with a tumbler or cake-cutter, 
and from the middle of each, with a smaller cutter or the 
top of a canister, cut a round hole. Bake quickly, and 
sift fine sugar over them as soon as they are done. 

No. 44 — Plain Jumbles. 

One eggy one cup sugar, one-half do. butter, three tea- 
spoonfuls milk, one do. cream tartar, one-half do. soda. 



58 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

No. 45 — Lemon Jumbles. 

The above recipe, with the juice and rind of one large 
lemon, or the juice of two and the grated rind of one. 

" There!" said Aunt Jane, when the last one had been 
written down, " I think I have given you occupation for 
along time — that is, if you make up all these good things. 
Which do you mean to begin on? " 

^' Oh, please let us make ginger-snaps and some one 
other kind, and we'll all help each other. Tell us some 
kind of nice cookies." 

" Ton might better take something that is not to be 
rolled out, as there is but one rolling-board and pin. 
Suppose you try Tudor cake? The materials are not ex- 
pensive, and if you spoil them there will not be much 
lost." 

" Now, Aunt Jane, that's too bad! We're not going to 
spoil anything! Just examine us and see if we don't 
know how to put cake together! '' 

" Well, take that recipe, and tell me how you would go 
to work." 

" First, we'll rub the butter to a cream, then stir in the 
sugar, then the yolks of eggs; (while one has been mixing 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 59 

it, the others have been beating the eggs, yon know, — ) 
then the milk and part of the flour; then — '' 

"No," said her annt; "you've left out something." 
"Oh, yes; first you measure the cream tartar and sift it 
with the flour; then you put the whites of the eggs, then 
the soda, carefully dissolved in warm water, and poured 
oflT without the dregs; then the rest of the flour, and then 
you bake it." 

" Yery well indeed, and you musn't forget to line your 
cake-pan with buttered paper if you want the cake very 
delicate, though it is not absolutely necessary. And you 
must always warm the pan or cake-tins flrst. Now tell 
me how you'll set about the ginger-snaps." 

" Oh, that's easy. Let me see — no eggs; I'll take lard, 
because that's easiest; set it near the fire to soften, stir in 
the sugar, and then the molasses and ginger; dissolve the 
soda in warm water and put it into the sour milk, and 
stir tJiem in; and then just keep stirring in flour until 
you think you can roll it out." 

" When it gets too hard to stir with the spoon, you may 
mix it with your hand," said Aunt Jane. "But don't 
get in too much flour; it wants to have just as little as 
possible; and don't forget to flour the pie-board." 



60 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

" Why do you say ' softened' butter, Mamma, in some 
of these receipts?" asked Amy. 

" Because you never really melt butter for cake, even 
quite common cake; that is, you don't let it turn to oil. 
The nicest way is to set the cup or bowl with it in, into a 
pan of boiling water, and then it softens enough to have 
the sugar stirred into it, which is the main thing. For 
the more delicate kinds of cake, butter must be rubbed to 
a cream, either with a wooden spoon or with the hand." 

"It seems to me nearly every thing has the juice and 
rind of a lemon in it," said Mabel. 

" Fresh lemons are a great addition to cake," said Aunt 
Jane, " but you musn't make the mistake of flavoring 
every thing alike. There are some houses where all their 
cakes and custards and puddings taste alike, though they 
have a variety of recipes, because they make every thing 
with lemon, or nutmeg, or cinnamon, or whatever their 
taste may incline them to. For instance, I would never 
put lemon into any two things to be eaten at the same 
meal. You can have vanilla, or bitter almond, or rose 
water, or, what is often best, no flavoring at all." 

" There is one condition I must positively make," said 
Mrs. Vernon, as the impatient cooks left the dinner table. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 61 

"I can not have Klioda come back from her 'afternoon 
ont' to find a disorderly kitchen and a great pile of 
dishes and pans to be washed. If you work in her nice, 
clean kitchen, you must clear up all traces of yourselves 
before she comes back." 

" Oh, yes, we will," said all at once, and they did it, 
too, for they knew that if they failed to keep tlieir part 
of the agreement they would not enjoy the privilege an- 
other time. So as soon as Ehoda had washed the dishes 
and " tidied up," as she called it, in the kitchen, they 
took possession of her dominions and set to work, after a 
parting caution from Aunt Jane as to the prime necessity 
of clean hands and nails. 

We need not follow them through the afternoon's oper- 
ations, which were quite suc<iessful, and produced a great 
dish full of nice ginger-snaps, and tw^o flat, thin pansful of 
cake. Then they washed the utensils they had used, 
scraped the flour from the pie-board, and wiped it from 
the table without spilling any on the floor except a little 
dusting of it, which was easily disposed of with a broom, 
and put every article back into its place. 

" Why, bless ye, honey," said Rhoda, when Mrs. Yer- 
non asked her about it in the evening, " you wouldn't 
never have knowed they'd been there at all!" 



62 SIX LITTLE OOOKS 



FIFTH DAT. 

" Grace, yon and I are invited out to exercise onr art 
to-day,'' said Mrs. King, one morning. "Your Aunt 
Carroll has sent over to say that she expects company to 
lunch; her cook is sick, and the other girl very busy iron- 
ing, and as it will be all she can do herself to entertain her 
friends and see to the table, she would like to have us 
get the lunch ready, with Eose and Jessie's help, and 
then I am to be company, and you three girls are to wait 
on table." 

"That will be glorious!" said Grace. "May I write 
down the recipes now?" 

"Yes, and Rose can copy them from your book. We 
will begin with" 

ITo. 46 — Chocolate. 

Take two oz. (or two squares) of Baker's chocolate, 
break it into a little boiling water and stir over the fire 
until it becomes a smooth paste. If unsweetened choco- 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 63 

late is used, add eight even tablespoonfuls granulated 
sugar, then add, little by little, a pint of boiling water 
and a pint of scalded milk. Stir it thoroughly, and 
allow it to simmer (not boil) for ten minutes ; then serve. 

No. 47 — Saratoga Potatoes. 

Pare raw potatoes; slice them as thin as possible with 
a potato-cutter (when this is not at hand, they must be 
shaved with a knife) ; lay them in cold water for an hour 
or more, then dry them in a towel. Have melted lard at 
least two inches deep in a kettle; when it is hot cover the 
surface with the dried slices, sprinkle a little salt over 
them, turn them with a skimmer, and when done lay 
them on a doubled brown paper in the open oven. Fry 
them all in this way, piling them up on the paper as fast 
as they are taken out of the kettle. 

No. 48 — Chicken Croquettes. 

14 oz. boiled chicken, chopped fine, one-half pint milk, 
a quarter of a 5). butter, one teaspoonful salt, two even 
tablespoonfuls flour, a pinch of Cayenne pepper ( very 
small). Mix the flour smooth in a little milk, put the rest 
of the milk to heat over a saucepan of boiling water, and 



64 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

when scalded pour in tlie flour, witli tlie salt, pepper and 
butter; when like thick cream, mix thoroughly witli the 
chicken and put it aside to become cold and stiff; then 
make it into twelve long shaped balls, press them per- 
fectly smooth, roll them in beaten yolk of egg, afterward 
in bread crumbs; fry in lard deep enough for them to 
swim in. 

No. 49 — ^Yeal Balls. 

One and a half lbs. veal, chopped very fine, three oz. 
salt pork do., one teaspoonful summer savory, one and a 
half do. salt, one-half do. sage, two-thirds do pepper; mix 
thoroughly and make into flat balls. Let them fry slowly 
in lard or drippings for half an hour. 

No. 50 — Mixed Croquettes. 

One chicken, two lbs. veal; boil separately, putting 
them on in cold water, just enough to cover them. Chop 
fine with one-third of a loaf bread, season with salt, pep- 
per and a very little mace, beat three eggs light and mix 
with the above, together with the broth of the chicken; 
make up in oblong balls and fry in hot lard and butter, 
equal parts. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 65 

" We're not going to make all these to-day, are we, 
Aunt Jane?" inquired Grace, at this stage of her writing. 

"By no means," said her aunt, "but I thought I 
might as well give you several croquette receipts at once. 
We can select from among them when we find what ma- 
terials Aunt Carroll has on hand." 

" How can we tell whether a tablespoonful is meant to 
be heaping or not, mamma, if it isn't water or some such 
thing?" asked Amy. 

"Salt is always to be measured even; also soda, cream 
tartar and any kind of spice. Of such things as sugar or 
flour, it is understood that they are to be a little heaped — 
about as much as the depth of the spoon -bowl, unless it 
is expressly stated 'even.'" 

" What else are we to make for lunch. Aunt Jane?" 

" We must have some salad, and for that I will give 
you recipe " 

No. 51 — Mayonnaise Dressing. 

Take the yolk of one egg in a large bowl, and stir it 
with the right hand, pouring in with the left, not more 
than a teaspoonful at a time of olive oil, until you have 
used half a tumblerful; this will make a thick batter. 



66 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

Into the tumbler which contained the oil put half a wine 
glass of vinegar, a small half teaspoonful of mustard and 
an even teaspoonful salt; also a dusting of Cayenne pep- 
per, very small; mix these thoroughly, and add slowly to 
the oil batter, stirring all the time. "When much salad is 
used in a family, it is well to make double or treble this 
quantity, which, if closely covered and kept in a cool place, 
will keep for weeks. 

No. 52 — Dresden Dressing. 

Eub the yolks of three hard boiled eggs quite smooth; 
add half a small onion, grated, two tablespoonfuls chopped 
parsley, one teaspoonful salt, one do. sugar, one small do. 
dry mustard; mix well, and while stirring fast add a wine- 
glassful (or a quarter of a tumblerful) of sweet oil; when 
quite thick, stir in the same quantity of vinegar. This 
may be used for cold beef, mutton or veal. The meat 
should be cut into small bits and mixed with the dressing 
before serving. A palatable lunch-dish. 

" I'm sorry you haven't learned to make pastry yet,'^ 
said Mrs. King, " for some kind of pudding baked in a 
paste, is an elegant addition to a lunch table. I think 
your next lesson must be on paste, and tlien I have some 



AUNT jane's C00K»ING CLASS. 67 

beautiful recipes for you. There is no time for jelly or 
blanc-mange; we must substitute some sort of meringue 
or custard, according to what materials we find ready." 

" We shall have to have somebody else's bread, shan't 
we?" 

" Yes, we must have a plate of plain bread, but we 
ought to have some biscuits or rolls of some kind. Rolls 
have to be made with yeast, and that is rather beyond our 
powers, but we can have popovers or soda-biscuit, or bet- 
ter still, Mrs. Miller's breakfast puff's.'' 

No. 53 — Breakfast Pctfts. 

Tliree-quarters of a pound flour, one oz. butter, one 
pint milk, two eggs, one-half teaspoonful salt. Beat the 
eggs together and stir them into the milk, pour about 
two-thirds of the milk on the flour, stirring gradually, 
that it may be perfectly smooth; melt, and add the but- 
ter, and beat very hard for three minutes, then add the 
remainder of the milk, pour the batter into gem-pans and 
bake in a very quick oven. 

No. 54 — Graham Popovers. 
One pint graham flour, one do. white flour, one 



68 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

quart milk, two even teaspoonfuls salt, three eggs. Put 
together exactly like breakfast puifs. 

" Then, of course, we must have some cake." said Aunt 
Jane, "and it musn't be in loaves, for they wouldn't cut 
nicely so soon after baking. I think Susan's cake is the 
nicest in the world to eat fresh, but you have made that 
already, so I will give you some other recipes, and we will 
select from them afterward." 

No. 55 — Drop Cake. 

Weigh one lb. flour, from which take out three even 
tablespoonfuls, one lb. sugar, a quarter of a pound 
butter, one-half pint sweet milk, two-thirds of a teaspoon- 
ful soda, two of cream tartar, or one and a half table- 
spoonfuls baking-powder, five eggs. Butter a didpping- 
pan, and drop on the batter in separate spoonfuls. Bake 
in a quick oven. 

No. 56 — Jelly Cake. 

Make drop-cake batter; have ready three well buttered 
jelly-cake tins, spread them a quarter of an inch deep 
with the batter and place them in the oven; watch them 
closely, as they require only a few minutes to bake; have 



AUNT jane's cooking GLASS. 69 

ready three pieces of bro^vIl paper on the kitchen table, 
on which to turn them out, upside down ; wipe the pans 
perfectly smooth, butter and refill them, and while the 
second set is in the oven spread those on the table with 
jelly; when the second trio is ready, turn the cakes upside 
down on the first and proceed as before; the third trio 
completes the loaves. 

No. 57 — White Icing. 

Beat the whites of two eggs until frothy only, not 
white; add ten oz. sugar, slowly, with one hand, 
while you beat with the other. Flavor with lemon juice 
or vanilla. 

No. 58 — Chocolate Icing. 

Beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff" froth, add half a 
pint of grated sweet chocolate, and half a pint pulverized 
(not granulated,) sugar. 

No. 59 — Orange Icing. 

Beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff* froth; add a 
quarter of a pound powdered sugar, and the grated rind 
and soft pulp of two large sour oranges and one lemon, 
Tliere should be a gill of the juice, (half a tumbler full.) 
If it makes less than this, add another orange. 



70 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

No. 60 — Orange Cake. 

Make and bake drop cake as in the directions for jelly 
cake, and spread with orange icing; for a top-icing for 
the whole loaf, more sugar mnst be added. 

No. 61 — Chocolate Cake No. 2. 

Use the directions for jelly cake, substituting choco- 
late icing for jelly. 

No. 62 — Cream Cakes. 

Half a pint milk, the yolks of three eggs, one and a 
half tablespoonfuls sugar, one teaspoonful vanilla, one 
and a half even tablespoonfuls corn starch. Leave out 
enough milk to mix the starch with smoothly; boil the 
rest, and when hot stir in the starch until thicker than 
boiled custard; then add the other ingredients, beaten 
together, and continue stirring until it is so thick it 
will not pour from the spoon, but only drop from it. To 
do this successfully, the milk must be heated over, or in, 
boiling water; never directly on the stove. When the 
cream is thick enough, proceed as in directions for jelly 
cake. 



AUNT jane's OOOKING CLASS. 71 

No. 63 — Number Cake. 

One cup butter, two of sugar, three of flour, four eggs, 
half a cup milk, half a teaspoonful soda and one of cream 
tartar. A very little spice improves it to some tastes; 
not more than half a teaspoonful in all of cinnamon, 
ground cloves and allspice mixed. A variation may be 
made by putting a whole cup milk, a teaspoonful soda 
and two of cream tartar. This makes a still lighter mix- 
ture. 

" Now there is a grand store of recipes to select from," 
said Mrs. King; " we'll go over and set about our lunch." 

Kose and Jessie were watching for them impatiently, 
and after a little consultation with her sister. Aunt Jane 
went into the kitchen with her three pupils. 

" A hot fire and a tea kettle full of water," said she. 
" So much is readv at all events." 

"I thought Bridget was ironing to-day," observed 
Grace. 

" So she is," said Rose, " but she has her own little 
charcoal iron-heater in the laundry, and she won't in- 
terfere with us at all. And I've found out where every- 
thing is, so I can bring out anything you want, Aunt 
Jane." 



72 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

" I made out a list of what we should have, Rosie, 
when I talked it over with vour mother. I find she has 
cold boiled chicken ready, thinking we should want 
chicken salad; but we are to have croquettes instead; 
also Saratoga potatoes ; lettuce, with Mayonnaise dressing; 
cold tongue, which was boiled yesterday, and only needs 
cutting up; tipsy-cake, made with some sponge-cake from 
the baker's; chocolate, breakfast-puflfe and drop-cakes/' 

" Oh, Aunty! can we eve7' get it all ready in time? " 

^' I think so; it is only nine o'clock now, and the lunch 
is not to be served until one. Why, we should be per- 
fect snails if we did not finish it in four hours! Your 
mamma will set the table before her friends come, so we 
shall have nothing to do but prepare th^ eatables. I 
sent over to her before breakfast, when I first heard that 
she expected company, to have some potatoes pared and 
laid in cold water." 

" Wliat was that for. Aunt Jane?" 

" You'll see presently. Now let us go to work at once. 
Get the scales, Rose, and weigh out the materials in 
Grade's recipe for ' chicken croquettes' ; Jessie, you may 
take the potato-slicer and cut the potatoes, for they 
have to lie another hour in cold water yet; Grace, I think 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 73 

jou may be trusted to make the soft cnstard all by your- 
self; I'll have an eye to you, and tell you if I see any- 
thing going wrong." 

'' Are these the potatoes that puff out like little bal- 
loons, Aunt Jane?" said Jessie. 

"Yes, the very same; and you shall fry them, too, so 
that it will be all 'your own dish. Now, Rose, as chopping 
the chicken is merely a mechanical operation, and rather 
a long one, I'll do that while you get the batter ready to 
mix with it." 

When this was done, Mrs. King showed Rose how to 
make up the croquettes, somewhat in the shape of a 
short, fat sausage, and while this was going on, she her- 
self grated the stale bread in which they were to be 
rolled. Then all was set away until it should be time to 
cook them. 

Next came the Mayonnaise dressing, which was com- 
mitted to Grace's care, after she had finished her custard, 
and Rose undertook to make some drop-cakes. Jessie, 
who was the youngest, was shown how to make up and 
melt the chocolate. After Grace had finished the salad- 
dressing, she set about making the breakfast puffs, ac- 
cording to her recipe, and so the morning wore away 
until past twelve o'clock. 



74 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

" Now it's time to go to work in earnest," said Aunt 
Jane, whose sharp eyes had been inspecting every opera- 
tion, while she gave a word of advice to one, of enconr- 
agement to another, or of reminder to a third. In the 
meantime she herself had not been idle, but had cut up 
a tempting-looking plateful of cold tongue, garnished 
with pretty sprigs of parsley, prepared the lettuce in a 
salad-bowl ready to receive the dressing, and neatly 
trimmed the drop-cakes, which required to be cut apart 
when they came out of the oven. 

" Now for a deep frying-pan of hot lard for the po- 
tatoes; Jessie, you mustn't think of another thing but 
your Saratogas from now to lunch time. Gracie may 
make the chocolate, now that her puifs are off her mind, 
and Eose, you must fry the croquettes. As it will be 
some time before they are ready to turn, you may cut up 
the sponge-cake and stick it full of those almonds that 
Jessie is cutting up; then pour the wine over it, and 
lastly the custard, which must be cold by this time, as it 
has been standing in the ice-box. Now the grand crisis 
approaches." 

At five minutes before one o'clock everything was fin- 
ished and ready to "dish"; the girls took off their cook- 



AUNT jane's cooking GLASS. 75 

ing aprons and washed their hands, then carried in the 
hot part of the lunch, all the rest having been previously 
placed on the table or the sideboard. " Some time when 
we have company at home, and Rhoda gets the lunch," 
said Aunt Jane, " I'll show you girls how to set a table as 
beautifully as your mother does, if I can. See how every- 
thing has been provided for — not a fork or spoon forgot- 
ten! That's one of the great secrets of making any meal 
go smoothly." 

The bell rang; Mrs. King took her seat among the 
guests, and the " three Hebes," as one of the ladies 
called them, waited on the table very gracefully and 
prettily, according to their previous instructions, which 
we will not stop to detail here, as Aunt Jane repeated 
them on another occasion. "When the grown people had 
retired, the waiters took their places at the table, and 
though their excitement had prevented them from feeling 
hungry while the lunch was in preparation, when they 
did finally sit down to it, you would have thought they 
had had nothing to eat for a week. 



76 SIX LITTLE OOOKS 



SIXTH DAY. 

" You said you would show us how to make pie-crust, 
Aunt Jane," said Grace one day. " Can't we learn to- 
day?" 

" Just as well as any other day,'^ answered Mrs. King, 
who was always glad to give pleasure, and was delighted 
to find that the interest of the httle people in cooking 
was still kept up. " But as that is something that re- 
quires not only judgment, but strength, it will not be 
best for the little ones to attempt it for another year or 
two yet. You three older ones may begin this morn- 
ing." 

Wliat was the astonishment of the amateurs when 
Aunt Jane gravely directed them to take all their mate- 
rials into the cellar! 

" To have perfect paste," she said, " you must have a 
cool place to make it in. To-day the kitchen is very hot, 
and although your pies would taste just as good, the paste 
would not be so flaky nor look as handsome if it were 
made so near the fire. In winter it would do very well." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 77 

Fortunately, Mrs. Yemen's cellar was dry, airy and well- 
lighted, so that it was a very pleasant place to be in on a 
hot day. " There's only one thing more I should like to 
have," said Mrs. King, " and if I lived next door I would 
send in and get it; and that is, a marble slab to roll the 
paste on. I always keep one expressly for the purpose." 

" I know the very thing, Mrs. King," said Edith, " and 
there is one next door! When our hall-table slab was 
broken, Papa had it set out in the shed, and there it is 
now, just as large as life! May I go in and get it?" 

" It would be rather heavy for you, I think; but if you 
think your mother would not object to our using it, you 
and Grace may go and bring it, together." 

Off flew the girls, and in a few minutes came back in 
triumph, lugging between them an oblong piece of pol- 
ished marble, with a great corner broken off, to be sure, 
but large enough for their purpose. In the mean time, 
Mrs. King had told Eose to weigh out the materials for 
the following recipes. 

No. 64 — Puff Paste. 

One lb. flour, three quarters of a lb. butter, one 
quarter of a lb. lard; salt, ice-water. 



78 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

No. 65 — Plain Pie-Crust. 

One lb. flour, a quarter of a lb. butter, a quarter of a 
lb. lard; or, one cup butter, one cup lard, one quart 
flour. 

" Every thing must be cold for paste," said Aunt Jane, 
again, " so I have had both the lard and butter hardened 
on the ice, as you see. As we only want two kinds of 
crust to-day, Rose may make one and Edith the other. 
Grace can be general helper for the present; by-and-bye 
we shall find something for her to do.'^ 

Each pastry-cook took her station at an end of the table, 
her materials being neatly ranged near her. A pitcher 
of ice-water stood between them. 

" The beginning is the same for both," said Aunt Jane. 
" Take the plate with the lard on in your left hand and 
cut off little bits of lard with a knife, throwing them into 
the flour as you go along. No matter if they are as 
small as peas. Now enough salt to make the lard as salt 
as butter; about half a teaspoonful, I think." 

" It seems to me there's salt in everything," remarked 
Grace. 

" Very few things are made without it," answered her 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. '79 

aunt; "notliing, I believe, that contains flour. (Now, 
girls, stir that lard thoroughly through the flour with a 
large knife.) We don't put it into preserves or canned 
fruits, and there are a few things, like blanc-mange, where 
it is not needed; but it must be added wherever there are 
eggs or flour, and is always present when any butter is 
used. Now, you pastry cooks, pour just enough water 
into the flour and lard to mix it into a loose paste that 
you can roll out with the rolling-pin. It must all be 
done with a knife, and as rapidly as possible. Never 
touch paste with your hands until you begin to roll it." 

"While this direction was being carried out, Mrs. King 
gave the girls some of the various notions about making 
pie-crust. 

" Many people — indeed some of the very best cooks — 
think it quite as well to cut the butter as well as the 
lard, into the flour, and some people chop them in with 
a chopping-knife; but I like my old-fashioned way best. 
Now, Eose, as yours is the puff-paste, you may use the 
slab flrst and the others may look on. Sift a dust of flour 
over your marble pie-board." 

"Oughtn't some of the flour to have been kept out for 
that, Mrs. King?" asked Edith. 



80 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

" No, that is not necessary when the paste is so rich. 
A few ounces more than the pound does it no harm^ 
Now turn out the dough from the pan to the pie-board 
and make it into a compact pile in the middle, all with 
your knife. That is right; now flour the rolling-pin and 
roll it down to about half an inch of thickness." 

Rose did so. 

" I ought to have told you first to divide the butter into 
four equal parts; that is, as nearly as you can make them 
so. Now cut the butter into just such little scraps as you 
did the lard, and spread them evenly over the surface." 

" How nice and fresh that butter looks," said Grace. 

" It does, indeed," replied Aunt Jane. " And that re- 
minds me of a queer surprise I had when I was in Eng- 
land. I had ordered bread and butter, with some other 
things, for luncheon, and when the waiter asked me if I 
would have fresh butter, I said, ' Yes, of course!' taking 
fresh in an American sense, which means newly made, 
and, therefore, especially sweet. When they brought it 
to table I found that it was made without salt!" 

""Wasn't it horrid. Aunt Jane?" 

" Oh, no, not at all. You were expected to use salt 
with it, just as you do on your meat and vegetables when 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 81 

tliey are not salt enough. Though I think, on the whole, 
I prefer our fashion. Now, Rose, you may touch your 
paste with your hands for the first time. Sift a dust of 
flour over the dough tliat you have spread with butter, 
then roll it into the shape of a fat bolster. Now roll it 
out again thin with the rolling-pin, — not too thin, but 
rather more than half an inch thick, — then spread on the 
next portion of butter, sift flour over it, and roll it again, 
and so on untii the butter is all in. Always roll from 
yourself; donH bring back the pin backwards over the 
same ground." 

"Why not, Aunty?" 

"Tour paste will not flalce as finely; and you must re- 
member that I am showing you the most elegant way of 
making it. Wlien you don't care to have it look so hand- 
some, or are making it for plain family pies, you can 
shorten the operation a good deal. And after making it 
a very few times, you will not need to weigh or measure 
at all, except for puff'-paste, and many cooks don't do even 
that. You learn to feel just how much lard and butter 
are needed in proportion to the fiour you have, and much 
of the trouble is saved." 

" What kind of pies are we going to make. Aunt Jane? " 



82 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

'^ I'll tell you in a minute. Now, Rose, as your last 
quarter of butter is in, you need not roll it out again 
just now. Set it in the ice-box till Edith has finished 
hers. She is to do exactly as you did, except that she 
need divide her quarter of a pound of butter into only two 
parts. Don't forget the little sprinkling of flour over it 
each time you have spread out the butter. Now, as to 
pies; I thought that, perhaps, to-day I would only let you 
make puddings." 

" Oh, Aunt Jane ! then what is all this pie crust for? " — 
and three pairs of wide-opened eyes were fixed on her at 
once. 

" Perhaps you don't know that a dish only lined with 
paste and not covered over the top, is a pudding in paste 
and not a pie at all, always excepting a New England 
pumpkin pie, of course, or a custard pie; one couldn't 
call those puddings. But lemon, and cream, and cocoa- 
nut, and all such as that, are really puddings." 

"How about cranberry, Aunt Jane? That's not cov- 
ered." 

^'That is properly a tart; so is a pie made of apples, 
peaches, or, in fact, any kind of fruit. But as the com- 
mon custom seems to be against giving any of these 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 83 

things their strictly correct names, I suppose we must go 
on calling them pies, as the rest of the world do." 

" I thought ' tart ' meant ' rather sour,' said Rose." 

"So it does, in one of its English meanings; but the 
name as applied to a pie comes from the French. Tour 
paste looks very nice, Edith; now set it in the ice-box 
while we consider what will be the nicest material to fill 
our pie-puddings with." 

" Then is pumpkin really the only pie, Aunt Jane? " 

"Oh, no! all meat pies are properly so named. I don't 
know when they left off calling them 'pasties' in old 
England. ' Bring pasties of the doe,' you remember." 

" Yes," said Grace, " and when I used to hear Walter 
spouting Marmion, I thought it was spelt dough.^^ 

" What a funny idea," said Aunt Jane. " It never oc- 
curred to me before. But now I will give you some 
recipes." 

" And are we to call all such pies, ' puddings,' after 
this. Aunt Jane?" 

" Oh, no," said Aunt Jane, laughing; " I only thought 
I would tell you what you might hear them called at 
fashionable tables, so that you would not exhibit any 
surprise. No matter what is set before you, at houses 



84 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

where you are visiting, and even if it is called by names 
that are strange to yon, you must act just as if you had 
been used to it all your life." 

No. 66 — Esther's Lemon Pudding. 

One cup sugar, one of water, rind and pulp of one 
lemon, two eggs, half a tablespoonful corn starch. This 
is just enough for one plate. The eggs must be well 
beaten. Bake in puff paste. 

No. 67 — CocoANUT Pudding. 

Half a pound sugar, the same of butter, the same of 
grated cocoanut, the whites of six eggs, one tablespoonful 
rose-water, two do. of wine. Beat the butter and sugar to 
a cream, beat the eggs to a dry froth and add them, then 
the rose-water and wine, and lastly the cocoanut. Bake 
in paste. 

" That would be a lovely thing to make," said Grace. 

" It is too rich for family use," replied her aunt, " and 
is rather heavy for this weather; but some time when we 
are going to have company, and it is a little cooler, you 
shall make it. Grating the cocoanut used to be a very 
laborious business, but now that we can get it ready pre- 
pared at the grocer's, it is not so formidable." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 85 

" Is it as good, Aunt Jane?" 

"Why, no, I can't say that it is, bnt it saves a vast 
deal of trouble, and if you are fortunate enough to get it 
quite fresh, there is not so much difference. Here is an- 
other good recipe." 

No. 68 — CocoANUT Custard Pie. 

One lb. cocoanut, half a pound powdered sugar, 
one quart milk, six eggs well beaten together, half a tea- 
spoonful nutmeg, and two of vanilla or rose-water. Boil 
the milk, take it from the fire and stir it gradually into 
the eggs, then add sugar and seasoning, and when nearly 
cold, the cocoanut. This may be baked in paste or in a 
dish or cups by itself. 

No. 69 — Apple Pudding. 

Peel, quarter and core enough sour apples to make a 
pint of apple-sauce when stewed; they must be scantily 
covered with water; two oz. butter, four do. sugar, a 
little nutmeg and mace, the grated rind of a lemon, the 
beaten yolks of two eggs, one wineglassful milk. When 
all these have been well beaten together, beat the whites 
of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix them in lightly. 
Bake in a paste-lined dish. 



86 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

No. 70 — Custard Pie. 

One even tablespoonful corn-starcli, two do. milk; put 
the rest of a quart of milk over boiling water, and when 
it is scalding (not boiling), stir in the starch carefully, 
with one- third of a tumblerful sugar and a few grains of 
salt. "When slightly thickened, pour on it four well 
beaten eggs (yolks and whites together). Bake in paste. 
The custard should be an inch deep. 

No. 71 — Orange Pudding. 

One-half pound sugar, a quarter of a pound butter, six 
eggs, two oranges. Grate the rind from the oranges and 
squeeze the juice, beat the butter to a cream and add the 
sugar to it little by little, throw in the yolks of the eggs 
as you break them, beating them with the mixture, add 
the orange rind and juice, and finally the whites of eggs, 
beaten to a stiff froth; these must be added slowly. Bake 
in paste. 

No. 72 — Marlborough Pudding. 

One pint sour apple-sauce, the apples being stewed 
with only just enough water to keep them from burning, 
and just long enough to enable you to pass them through 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 87 

a colander; one-half lb. sugar, one-half do. butter, six 
well-beaten eggs, the juice of two lemons and the grated 
rind of one. Bake in puff paste. 

No. 73 — Lemon Pudding. 

Half a dozen tart apples, stew and strain through a 
colander, grated rind and juice of two large lemons or 
three small ones, one teacup cream, one-half do. butter, 
two cups sugar, yolks of six eggs. Bake one hour in 
puff' paste. 

No. 74 — Lemon Pie. 

One large or two small lemons, rind and pulp; after 
the seeds are taken out, squeeze the pulp well in half a 
tumbler of water, and strain; yolks of four eggs well 
beaten, one tablespoon flour stirred witli the egg, two 
do. melted butter, 1 cup sugar, beat well together. Bake 
until done; then having beaten up the whites of four eggs 
with three tablespoonfuls powdered sugar, spread it 
smoothly over the top and set it in the oven a few min- 
utes to brown. 

" Now let us look over our recipes," said Mrs. King. 
'* Lemon pudding is always good, and very simple; 



88 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

apples are not in season, and we have no oranges in the 
house ; the custard pie is nice, hut not different enough from 
lemon to make at the same time. I think we'll have a lemon 
pie and some puffs of the puff paste, and a raspberry or 
currant pie of the plainer kind, and perhaps I may think 
of something else. Grace, see if you think you can make 
the filling for one of Esther's puddings. They are sim- 
ple, and always nice." 

'' I think I can, Aunt Jane," said Grace, looking over 
the receipt. " I suppose I must wet up the corn-starch 
with water?" 

" Yes, part of the cupful. Be careful not to put in 
more water than is required, or your pudding won't 
stand — that is, it will be soft and liquid, not firm, like a 
custard." 

" Beat the eggs separately, Aunty? " 

" No, that is not necessary, except where it is so stated 
in the recipe, unless in the case of any kind of nice cake, 
when the rule is just the reverse. In some lemon pies, 
only the yolks are put into the mixture, the whites being 
beaten separately for a cover to the pie; but where this is 
the intention, j^ou will find it so explained." 

So Grace undertook the lemon pudding, and Mrs. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 89 

King examined into the condition of tlie fruit-closet. 
Here she found a quantity of ripe currants and raspber- 
ries, and though she declared it was a pity to spoil any- 
thing so nice by cooMng it, still, to show the girls what 
could be done with them, she decided to try two recipes 
— the following an English one: 

No. 75 — Currant and Raspberry Tart. 

Three half-pints currants, measured after being stripped 
from the stalks, one half-pint raspberries, three heaping 
tablespoonfuls crushed sugar; turn a small cup upside 
down in a deep pie dish, fill the dish with the mixture 
of currants, raspberries and sugar, cover with pufi* paste, 
bake from half to three-quarters of an hour. To be 
eaten cold, with white sugar sifted over it. 

No. 76— Currant Pie. 

Line a pie-dish with paste; in it put a layer of currants 
and a layer of cofiee-sugar alternately until full; dredge 
an even tablespoonful of flour over the top, cover with 
paste, and bake. All pies of this sort should have a slit 
cut in the center, and should be well pressed down around 
the edges. 



90 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

When the filling for the lemon pie was ready, Mrs. 
King showed the girls how^ to use the crust. The amount 
already made was cut in two and one part rolled out 
thin; the pie-dish was covered evenly with this. Then 
another plate of the same size was laid, face downward, 
on a thicker layer of paste rolled out on the pie-board, 
and the shape exactly cut out in paste. This made a cir- 
cular sheet of paste, from which Grace cut out with a 
sharp knife a piece from the inside as large as the deep 
portion of the pie-dish, thus leaving a ring of paste just 
the size of the margin. That already on the plate was 
then wet, and the other piece laid on it, to make a deeper 
well into which to pour the lemon custard. Then it was 
ready for the oven. 

The English tart came next, and was simply covered 
with a layer of pastry, on which, by her aunt's directions, 
Grace made some little ornamental quirligigs with strips 
of paste, and a wavy criss-cross border of the same, al- 
ways wetting the part on which an additional layer of 
paste was to rest, in order to cement thom firmly together. 
Some puff-paste still remained, which was disposed of by 
Edith in the following manner. 

Being rolled to half an inch in thickness, a number of 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 91 

round cakes of the size of the top of a tumbler were cut 
out. From half of these, smaller circles were cut from 
the inside with the top of a canister, and the ring thus 
formed was laid on the other, the under surface being 
first wetted. These when baked made little hollow puffs, 
which were filled with jam or jelly and presented quite 
an elegant appearance. 

The remains of the plain pie-crust, after two currant 
pies had been made from it, was rolled out into short- 
cakes, with as much fiour as they could be maJe to ab- 
sorb, and made a welcome addition to the tea-table. 

A high authority says that pastry, with the exception 
of mince-pies, should always be eaten the day it is 
baked; but as this is not convenient to most house-keep- 
ers, the expedient of slightly heating the paste just be- 
fore serving is often practised with good effect. 



92 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



SEVENTH DAT. 

Not long after the last lesson in cookery, Mrs. Yemon 
was taken ill, and was for some time afterward very fee- 
ble, requiring to be nourished with special dishes, which 
Grace and Mabel took great satisfaction in preparing for 
her, under their aunt's direction. The first time that 
they tried their hands at any of this " love-cooking," as 
Mabel called it, Aunt Jane gave them a host of recipes 
which they afterward made use of as occasion arose. 

" You must always remember," said Mrs. King, " that 
one of the great points in cooking for the sick, is to have 
things ready exactly at the time they are wanted. The 
fifteen or twenty minutes of delay while we are finishing 
something in the kitchen, and which passes without our 
perceiving it, is as long as hours to a sick person. If you 
Imow at what time anything is ordered, always begin 
long enough beforehand to allow for not only probable 
but improbable detentions. I shall never forget the 
mortification I felt when I undertook once to serve an 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 93 

egg on toast to a sick friend in the evening. The kitchen 
fire was a mass of dead coals and smouldering ashes, and 
my only servant was out; even if I could have made up 
another fire I couldn't have had any clear coals for toast- 
ing, so I made a compromise by holding some water in 
a little tin cup over a gas-burner, and half-boiling an egg 
in that! Then I spread a slice of bread and butter — not 
toast! — and emptied the egg over it. My friend had the 
complaisance to eat it; but I know it must have been a 
dreadful mess." 

''What could you have done any better. Aunt Jane? " 
asked Grace. 

" I could have told the maid, before she went out, to 
leave me a proper fire, \vhich it is never safe to be with- 
out when there is siclmess in the house; and 1 could have 
had on hand, what I afterwards bought, aa arrangement 
which fastens on the gas fixture and heats water quite as 
soon as the flame of a fire. To be sure, I could not have 
made toast with it, but I could at least have accomplished 
a decent poached egg." 

*' Will you let us make mamma's gruel to-day. Aunt 
Jane?" 

" Certainly, and as it is not time for it yet, I'll give 



94 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

you some recipes which, you will find useful when you 
have the care of sick people yourselves, as may happen 
some time." 

No. 77— Old Fashiojs^ed Beef Tea. 

One pound (or more) of lean beef — (not one scrap of 
fat must be admitted) — cut into small pieces and put into 
a tightly-covered jar, without water. Set the jar into a 
pot of cold water, let this come gradually to a boil and 
then boil steadily for three or four hours, until the meat 
is like white rags. Then press the juice out, and season 
with salt, and, if permitted, a little pepper. This is the 
pure juice of the meat. 

No. 78 — Louisa's Beef Tea. 

Cut the beef (without fat,) into small pieces, say one 
inch cube, or thereabouts ; put them in an open saucepan 
over the fire with a very little water — not nearly enough 
to cover them ; take a strong, small iron spoon and press 
them constantly against the side of the saucepan until 
you see that every bit of blood is pressed out, and noth- 
ing is left but white, leathery lumps ; remove these, strain 
the juice through a hair-sieve, if the broth is required 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 95 

very clear, and flavor as above. An easily made and 
nutritious food, which can be prepared in fifteen minutes. 

No. 79 — Mrs. Miller's Beef Tea. 

One lb. lean, juicy beef, one pint cold water, two even 
teaspoonfuls salt. Cut the beef in bits about an inch 
square, cover it with the cold water, and let it stand one 
hour. Heat it slowly over the fire till it reaches the boil- 
ing point, then strain and season. 

'' Tliey seem to be very much afraid we shall take fat 
beef. Aunt Jane," said Mabel. 

" The least particle of fat spoils the tea," answered 
Aunt Jane, '^ and as a person is supposed to read over 
only the one recipe she is using, of course the direction 
must be repeated each time. But here is something that 
ought perhaps to have come before tlie beef tea; in old 
times it would certainly have done so." 

No. 80 — Indian Meal Gruel. 

Mix two tablespoonfuls white Indian meal into a thin 

paste vtdth cold water; stir this into a quart of boiling 

water, in which has been dissolved one teaspoonful salt ; boil 

it four hours, stir a teaspoonful wheat flour into a cupful 

7 



96 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

of boiling milk (first, of course, mixing it smoothly in a 
little cold milk), let it boil up once, then add it to the 
Indian meal and let all boil up once together. If too 
thick, it is nourishing and tasteful thinned with cream, 
or if wanted plain, with boiling water. 

No. 81 — ^Plain Gruel. 

Two quarts boiling water; into which stir one cup In- 
dian meal and one tablespoon flour, previously made into 
a smooth paste with cold w^ater. Boil slowly one hour. 
A handful of raisins boiled in the gruel improves it, es- 
pecially for children's taste. 

No. 82 — Oatmeal Gruel. 

Mix two tablespoonfuls oatmeal with three of cold 
water; pour on one pint boiling water, then boil five 
minutes, stirring all the time; skim, and strain through a 
hair-sieve. Farina gruel is made in the same way. 

No. 83 — Rice Gruel. 

Mix two taolespoonfuls ground rice smooth with cold 
water, stir it into a pint of boiling milk; boil until it is 
as thick as good cream; sweeten to taste, and grate in a 
little nutmeg. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 97 

" In every recipe where meal of any kind is stirred into 
boiling milk," said Mrs. King, " it is better to pour the 
milk into the dish containing the meal, then turn the 
whole back into the saucepan. It is very diflScult to keep 
pon-idge from getting lumpy if you stir in the flour while 
the milk is over the fire.'' 

'No, 84 — Imitation of Asses' Milk. 

Put into a saucepan one half-pint milk and the same of 
water; while they are coming to a boil, beat up two eggs 
very light, yolks and whites together; pour the boiling 
mixture on the egg, but do not boil afterwards ; sweeten 
with white sugar-candy. 

No. 85— Panada. 

To one gill (or half a tumblerful) of wine, add one and 
a half tumblerfuls boiling water; flavor with nutmeg or 
lemon and sweeten slightly. Stir in grated bread or 
crackers to make it as thick as gruel, and let it boil up 
once. 

No. 86 — Rice Blano Mange. 

Four tablespoonfuls ground rice and one saltspoon salt, 
wet with cold milk and stirred into one quart boiling 



98 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

milk Rub the rind of a lemon hard with lump sugar, 
and sweeten with the sugar thus flavored. Boil, stirring 
all the time, for eight minutes; then cool it, and add the 
whites of three eggs beaten to a froth. Place over the 
fire again and stir constantly until boiling hot, then turn 
into moulds to harden. 

No. 87. — ^Tapioca Jelly. 

Soak two oz. tapioca five hours, or over night, in half a 
pint of cold water; put it over the fire with another half 
pint cold water, and when quite thick add half a tumbler 
boiling water; let it boil until the pieces look perfectly 
clear, then add four tablespoonfuls sugar, and fiavor with 
two teaspoons brandy or two tablespoons wine. If lemon 
is preferred, boil the rind of one with tlie tapioca until it 
is fiavored, and add some of the juice, if the flavor is 
liked so strong. Pour it into small moulds wet with 
water, and set it on the ice. 

" Why must the moulds be wet. Aunty? ^' 

"To prevent the tapioca from sticking to them. In 

turning out moulds of jelly or blanc-mange, you know, we 

warm them outside with a towel wrung out of boiling 

water, or set them for a moment into a pan of hot water, 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 99 

to melt the surface next the mould; but tapioca is so 
sticky, this is not always sufficient." 

No. 88. — Arrowroot Gruel. 

One oz. arrowroot, mixed smooth in cold milk and 
stirred into one pint boiling milk, with one heaping tea- 
spoon sugar, and a pinch salt; stir until it is thick as 
cream, then cool a little, and serve. 

No. 89. — Arrowroot Jelly. 

Wet two heaping teaspoonfuls Bermuda arrowroot in a 
little cold water, then stir into one cup boiling water, in 
which two teaspoonfuls white sugar have been dissolved. 
Stir until clear, boiling steadily, then add the lemon. Wet 
a cup with cold water and pour in the jelly to stiflfen. 
To be eaten cold with sugar and cream. The same re- 
cipe, made with milk instead of water and one additional 
teaspoonful of arrowi'oot, makes a delicious blanc-mange. 
It must be boiled until well thickened. 

" Don't they always give sick people chicken-broth. 
Aunt Jane? " asked Mabel. 

" When the sick people begin to get well, they general- 

iLofC. 



100 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

ly do, my dear," replied Mrs. King. " I am just coming 
to that receipt." 

No. 90. — Chicken Beoth. 

Boil an ordinary sized chicken in two quarts unsalted 
water, cracking the bones well before putting in the fowl. 
Cover it closely, and boil until the meat all falls to pieces. 
The water must be cold when the chicken is put in. 
When done, strain the broth, to which add one tablespoon- 
ful rice or pearl barley, soaked in a little warm water, and 
simmer half an hour; then add four tablespoons milk, 
some salt and pepper and a little chopped parsley, and 
simmer five minutes. Be careful not to oversalt, but 
carry up a small salt-cellar on the waiter with the broth. 
Serve with dry toast. 

No. 91. — Beef and Sago Broth. 

Two lbs. beef cut up small into two quarts cold, un- 
salted water; stew until the beef falls to pieces; strain it 
out, add salt and one cup sago, carefully washed and 
soaked until soft in a little lukewarm water. After the 
sago is in, simmer one hour, stirring often. Then add the 
beaten yolks of three eggs; boil up once and serve with 
dry toast. 



AUNT jIne's cooking CLASS. 101 

No. 92 — Beef Steak Tea. 

Broil one lb. of tender, juicy beef for ten minntes; sea- 
son with salt and pepper; cnt it into small pieces, pour 
on a pint of boiling water, steep it half an huur, then 
press well, and pour off the liquid. 

No. 93 — Beef Sandwich. 

Scrape or chop fine a little raw beef from a tender, 
juicy piece ; season with pepper and salt, and spread on a 
thin slice of thinly buttered bread ; cover with a similar 
slice, and cut into three or four neat-looking pieces, ac- 
cording to the size of the loaf. 

"Raw beef!" exclaimed Grace, " that must be awful! 
I hope nobody will ever give me any! " 

"Most people find it exceedingly nice, Gracie; and if 
you had such a sandwich put into your hands, without 
knowing what it was made of, I've no doubt you would 
do the same. Raw beef is very nourishing and easily 
digested; that is why it is recommended for sick people." 

No 94 — Toast- Water. 

Toast two thin slices of bread thoroughly, but without 
burning them. It is a great mistake to think that toast 



102 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

with tlie black edge scraped off, is as nice as that which 
is only well browned at first. While hot, pour one quart 
cold water over the slices, and let them stand in a covered 
pitcher until wanted. 

No. 95— Egg Nog. 

Beat the yolk of an egg in a tumbler, with two tea- 
spoonfals brandy and the same of sugar, measured even; 
beat the white to a dry froth, mix it thoroughly with the 
yolk, and fill the glass with milk. 

Several variations may be made on this recipe. Some 
patients cannot take egg, but must have brandy and milk 
alone; some can not use milk, but take the brandy and 
egg without it, while others again, and they, perhaps, the 
largest class, are best nourished by an egg beaten up very 
thoroughly with half the stated quantity of sugar, stirred 
into a glass of rich milk or cream. 

No. 96 — Flax-seed Lemonade. 

Take four even tablespoonfuls whole fiax-seed, upon 
which pour one quart boiling water. Let it stand three 
hours in a covered pitcher, then add the juice of two 
lemons, and sweeten to taste. If too thick, thin with a 
little cold water or ice. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 103 

*^ Aren't there any recipes for making cocoa, Aunt 
Jane? " asked Grace. 

"Yes, plenty; but as they are sure to come on the 
packages of cocoa, or broma, or ' racahout des Arabes,' 
or alkethrepta, or whatever other name the preparation is 
called by, I don't think it worth while to give you any. 
There is one drink, though, I used to think delicious when 
I drank it fresh from the mill where it was made — cocoa 
shells. Did you ever see any? ' " 

"No; I never heard of them." 

" I've no doubt that they are to be had at the grocers, 
and I'll give you the directions. Miss Bremer, when she 
was in this country, used to call this drink, ' De nectar 
of de gods.' " 

No. 97 — Cocoa Shells. 

One quart boiling water, two oz. cocoa shells, some- 
times called nibs^ wet first with a little cold water; boil 
an hour and a half, strain, add one quart milk (better 
if you can have it part cream), let it heat nearly to boil- 
ing, then take off and serve. 

" Now, as the doctor said Mamma might eat a little 
something besides her gruel to-day, suppose we try how 



104 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

she likes a poached egg on toast, with a cup of tea? It 
will be a pleasant little surprise to her." 

The girls were delighted with the thought, and were in 
the kitchen half an hour before the time of serving, so as 
to be sure not to be late. There was a bright, clear fire, the 
largest egg was picked out and the loaf brought out of 
the bread-box, ready to cut. 

" Here's some lovely fresh bread," remarked Mabel, 
when her aunt came in. 

" Oh, fresh bread wouldn't toast well at all! It would 
be all rough and crumbly. Ask Ehoda if she hasn't 
some about two days old. If she hasn't any more stale 
than this, we must send round to the baker's." 

Fortunately another visit to the bread-box disclosed 
some just in the right condition. 

" Now get the waiter ready; a clean napkin for it — not 
a great dinner napkin that will hang down ever so far 
over the sides — a fringed one will be prettier; now the 
little tete-a-tete set that mamma had for a Christmas pres- 
ent. Ah! they are rather dusty, they haven't been used 
for so long; you must wash and wipe them. Wliere is a 
clean napkin? Don't put it in the ring; lay it by the 
side of the plate and get the smallest salt-cellar. Now 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 105 

fill the little sugar-bowl about half full of sugar and the 
cream -jug the same; a small knife and fork, — yes, I think 
that's all. Have a plate of butter on the table ready for 
the toast, and a large bowl for boiling water to dip it in; 
we'll make the tea first. The old rule is, a spoonful apiece 
and one for the pot, but that allows for two cups, and 
mamma will want only one, so one teaspoonful, a little 
heaped, will be plenty." 

" Shall we make it in the little tea-pot. Aunt Jane? " 
" No, we must take Ehoda's steeper, for this is English 
breakfast-tea, and must be boiled a few minutes. Oolong, 
or any kind of green tea, should only be steeped, but you 
cannot get the full flavor of this kind without boiling it. 
Scald the steamer first and throw out the water; now put 
in the tea and pour on about half a pint of boiling water 
from the tea kettle, then set it where it will simmer for 
five minutes. Now you may toast the bread, Mabel; you 
see Rhoda has cut a beautiful even slice. Grace, pour 
some boiling water into this frying pan, then break the 
egg very carefully into a saucer, and slide it off into the 
hot water." 

Grace did so, and then her Aunt told her that she 
must not try to poach eggs in water that was boiling 



106 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

hard, or they would fly in pieces. The water must be 
boiling to begin with, but afterwards merely simmer un- 
til the white was cooked so that no liquid part remained; 
then the yolk would be sufficiently done. By the time 
this was done, Mabel's toast had been dipped and but- 
tered and laid on the plate; the egg was then carefully 
lifted off with a skimmer and placed upon it, covered 
with a large bowl, the tea poured off* the leaves into the 
little tea-pot, a small pitcher of hot water added in case 
it should be too strong, and then Grace, being the taller, 
started off with the waiter, Mabel going along for com- 
pany. 

" Whatever else you do, girls,'' said Aunt Jane, as they 
were on the way, "don^t make tea with water that doesn't 
boil! There is more wretched stuff drunk under the 
name of tea, from this cause, than from any other. Many 
a girl I have had say to me, 'Why, it has boiled!' when 
I saw from the looks of the tea that it hadn't been made 
with boiling water. The idea that it must actually be 
boiling hard at the moment it touches the leaves, is al- 
most impossible to get into their heads." 

At the door of the sick room Mabel took off the bowl 
that had covered the toast and egg, and put it on a table 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 107 

in the Jiall, and the little girls were rewarded by a smile 
from their mother, and by hearing her remark that noth- 
ing had tasted quite so good to her since she had been 
sick as this little meal of her daughters' preparation. 



108 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



\. 



EIGHTH DAY. 

"Oh, mamma, what do jou think?" said Grace, burst- 
ing into the breakfast-room one morning. " Mr. Lane 
has invited " 

" Good morning, my dear," said Mrs. Vernon, checking 
the torrent of words with a motherly smile. " As this 
is the first time we have seen you, we should like that 
little piece of courtesy as an introduction to what you 
have to say." 

"Good morning, mamma; good morning. Aunt Jane; 
Mr. Lane has invited all our three families, boys and 
babies and grown people and everything, to go to a pic- 
nic in his woods out in the country on the Fourth; and 
it isn't to be a general basket pic-nic, but Mrs. Lane is 
going to send all the lunch from her house, and she wants 
to know if Aunt Jane and all of us girls won't go there 
Monday afternoon and make the things, and if we'll send 
her a list of what's wanted, she'll have everything ready." 

" I don't wonder that you are out of breath, Grace, after 



AUNT jane's COOKINa CLASS. 109 

that long speech; do sit down and rest a few minutes. If 
your papa says yes, we'll go to the pic-nic with pleasure, 
and as for having a cooking-party at Mrs. Lane's, you 
must ask Aunt Jane about that." 

"Oh, I know Aunt Jane will say 'yes,' she's such a 
dear, good, kind, first-rate Aunty! Won't you. Aunt 
Jane?" 

"After all that praise, I'm afraid I might lose my 
reputation for amiability if I said ' no,' " said Mrs. King, 
laughing; "but luckily, I don't want to say no. I think 
the notion is capital, and I am for accepting at once." 

" Oh, you best of aunts! " exclaimed Grace, embracing 
her aunt rapturously. " I'll nm and teU Mrs. Lane now 
— may I, mamma?" 

" I think Mrs. Lane will be able to wait until after break- 
fast," answered Mrs. Yernon, " and you must remember 
that you haven't consulted your father yet." 

" Oh, I know beforehand what JieHl say; ' Just as your 
mother pleases.' I haven't asked papa's consent to any 
thing a thousand times in my life not to know that by 
this time. I hope he'll come down soon, though, so I 
can go through the motions." 

As Grace had foretold, her father made no objections, 



110 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

and in the course of the morning Annt Jane went into 
Mrs. Lane's to arrange with her about particulars. 

"Well, Aunt Jane, what are we to have?" inquired 
Grace when her aunt came back. 

" Oh, we have arranged a very nice bill of fare; but 
never mind going over it now. I will just give you some 
new recipes, and we can talk over the rest of the pro- 
gramme afterwards.'^ 

No. 98 — Yeal Loaf. 

Three lbs. raw veal and half a lb. raw pork chopped 
fine together; three Boston crackers rolled fine, or a cup 
and a half of bread crumbs; three eggs, one teaspoonful 
black pepper, a very little sage, the same of mace, one 
teaspoonful salt. Pack into square tin pans; strew bread 
crumbs or grated cracker over the top, and while baking, 
baste with a tablespoonful of butter dissolved in boiling 
water. Bake three hours in a moderate oven. 

"What is ^basting,' Aunt Jane?" asked Grace. 

" Pouring liquid over something that is baking or roast- 
ing. This keeps it moist, and cements the other ingre- 
dients together." 

" Wliat is the diflference between baking and roasting?" 



AQNT jane's cooking CLASS. Ill 

" In old times it used to be called baking when things 
were cooked in an oven, and roasting when they were 
placed before the open fire on a spit, or what is called a 
'Dutch oven' — a tin arrangement with only the side 
toward the fire open, so that the whole heat, direct and 
reflected, might be concentrated on the meat; but in these 
days when there are very few open fires, every thing is 
baked, and it is generally said that meat is roasted, and 
all other things baked, in the oven. Here are some cake 
recipes." 

No. 99 — French Cake. 

One pound sugar, one-half do. butter, one do. currants, 
dredged with flour, three cups flour, four eggs; spice to 
taste, half a teaspoonful soda dissolved in three tablespoon- 
fals milk. 

No. 100 — Loaf Cake. 

Two cups risen dough taken from bread after its second 

rising. Have ready two cups sugar, one do. butter, three 

eggs, one teaspoonful soda, two tablespoonfuls milk or 

cream, half a pound seeded raisins, one teaspoonful cloves, 

half as much grated nutmeg. 
8 



112 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

No. 101 — Fkuit Gingerbread. 
Two lbs. flour, three-quarters do. butter, one do. 
cofiee-sugar, one do. raisins, one do. currants, two cups 
molasses, one-half do. sour cream (or milk, if you cannot 
get cream), six eggs beaten separately, one heaping tea- 
poonful soda, two tablespoonfuls ginger, one teaspoonful 
cinnamon and one of cloves. Cream the butter and sugar, 
warm the molasses a little and add to them ; next the 
beaten yolks, then the the milk and spice, soda, flour and 
whites, well beaten; last, the fruit, which must be dredged 
with flour. Beat all together well, the last thing before 
baking. Bake in two loaves, in a moderate oven. This 
cake will keep a long time. 

No. 102 — Plain Gingerbread. 

One cup butter, one do. sugar, one do. molasses, one 
do. sour milk, two eggs, one teaspoonful soda, one of cin- 
namon, and one tablespoonful ginger, nearly five cups of 
flour. Be careful not to get it too hard; it should be about 
as thick as cup-cake batter. 

No. 103 — Sponge Gingerbread, Without Eggs. 
Three cups flour, one of molasses, one of sugar, one of 



AUNT JANETS COOKING CLASS. 113 

milk (sour is best), one heaping tablespoonful butter, two 
teaspoons saleratus (not soda), two do. ginger, one do. cin- 
namon. Mix the molasses, sugar, butter and spice to- 
gether; warm them a little and beat until they are very 
light in color; then add the milk, the saleratus, and lastly, 
the flour. Beat hard five minutes and bake in shallow 
pans, or, if preferred, in small cake-tins. 

1^0. 104 — ^TEA-Biscurr. 

One quart flour, two heaping tablespoonfals lard, two 
cups milk (new milk, if you can get it), one teaspoonful 
soda and two of cream tartar, one saltspoon salt. Sift 
the cream tartar into the flour, then put in the salt, then 
the lard, rubbed lightly through the flour with the hands, 
next the soda, dissolved in a little of the milk, then, as 
rapidly as possible, the rest of the milk. Knead all to- 
gether as fast as you can, roll out lightly and cut into 
cakes at least half an inch thick. Bake in a quick oven. 

" Now, I believe I have given you all the receipts we 
shall need,'' said Mrs. King, " besides a good many others. 
Ton know we have a pretty large party to provide for; 
eight from here, three from Mrs. Lane's, and five from 



114 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

Aunt Carroll's — sixteen hungry people! Here is our bill 
of fare, that she and I made out together. 

"Yeal loaf, ham-sandwiches, potato salad, buttered 
biscuit, short-cakes, black cap and huckleberry pies, loaf 
cake, soft gingerbread, iced tea and coffee for the grown 
folks." 

" And what shall we have to drink. Aunt Jane?" 
" Oh, I think little folks can get on very well with ice- 
water. However, there is a very nice preparation called 
lemon sugar, that makes a pleasant drink when mixed 
with water, and we'll take along a bottle of that. I ad- 
vised Mrs. Lane against lemonade, it is so troublesome 
and hard to manage." 

" Are we going to make every thing to-morrow ?" 
"Mrs. Lane will have the veal and pork weighed and 
chopped up at the butcher's, and the ham boiled to-day 
for the sandwiches, and as her cook is going to bake bread 
to-morrow, we shall have some light dough ready for the 
loaf-cake; every thing else I think we can prepare our- 
selves." 

The next morning saw a busy scene at Mrs. Lane's. 
Six clean-aproned little girls bustled about the kitchen, 
like peas on a hot shovel, somebody said; Ellen, the cook. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 115 

had to be on hand to give out materials and utensils. Mrs. 
Lane said she could not keep out of the kitchen, it was so 
delightful to watch them, and Aunt Jane sat bj a corner 
of the table up against the wall, in the character of the 
Genius of the place, inspiring every one with the power 
suited to the occasion. 

" The dough will be ready for your loaf-cake very soon, 
Edith; you must be ready for it. Take your recipe and 
put the materials together just as we always do, and Mabel 
and Amy will stone the raisins." 

" Shall we weigh them first. Aunt Jane?'' 

" No, raisins musn't be weighed until after the seeds 
are taken out. Eose, you may set about the veal loaf; 
the meat is all ready, mixed by the butcher; Ellen will 
give you some bread to crumb up, and you can see by 
your recipe what else you will want." 

" I'm waiting patiently for my turn, Aunt Jane," said 
Grace. 

" Yes, I see. You may have either the soft ginger- 
bread or the pies for your share. Which will you take? " 

" Oh, the pies, if I may make them all alone! May I 
go into the cellar and do it all by myself ? " 

*^ Yes, if you want to," said Mrs. King. " But wouldn't 
you rather have a little oversight and advice?" 



116 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

" No, I JTist want to take all the responsibilitj myself. 
I don't want anybody to see them until they go into the 
oven." 

" Very well, just as you like. The berries are all nicely 
looked over and clean; all you have to do is to be careful 
not to put in too much sugar, as they are both so sweet.'' 

'^ I wish pie-crust could be measured instead of weigh- 
ed," sighed Grace. " It's so much trouble." 

" Oh, I can give you a nice receipt for measuring if you 
are not afraid to try it for the first time by yourself. 
Here it is:" 

No. 105 — Cup Pie-Crust. 
One cup butter, one of lard, four cups flour. 

"Is that all?" said Grace. "What a comical little 
recipe!" 

" Of course it is understood that you know how to put 
it together, and also that you will add about half a tea- 
spoonful of salt on account of the lard, and make it up 
with ice- water. Don't forget, too, after the under crust 
is on and the fruit in, to wet the margin of paste that will 
be touched by the upper crust, so as to make it keep 
together, and as we don't want very rich paste, make your 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 117 

cups of flour rather large, and those of butter and lard 
rather small." 

Grace went off in high glee, and Mrs. King turned to 
Jessie. 

" Here is a good little girl who can chop the ham for the 
sandwiches if Ellen will cut some slices for her. Of 
course we can't make them before to-morrow morning, 
but the ham can be chopped and shut up tight in a cold 
place, and it will be quite as good. The bread that is just 
going in to bake will be exactly right to cut up by that 
time." 

" I never heard before of chopping ham that was to go 
in sandwiches," observed Ellen; " I always saw the slices 
just put in whole." 

" And did you ever see any one try to bite through a 
good thick piece of ham and two slices of bread, Ellen ?" 
said Mrs. King. " I have, and dreadful work they made 
of it. Some people are so particular that they grate the 
ham, but I think it is just as good chopped up into rather 
small pieces; not too fine, Jessie, but about a quarter of 
a mouthful." 

When Mabel and Amy had finished stoning the raisins, 
Mrs. King set one of them to making the salad di^essing, 



118 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

and the other to measuring the ingredients for the ginger- 
bread, using the dishes which Edith had for the cake, so 
as to save the trouble of washing. 

"And when the cake is finished and set to rise in the 
baking-tins," said Aunt Jane, " you can mix your ginger- 
bread up in that same pan she has it-in now.'^ 

This was the recipe for the salad dressing: 

No. 106 — Simple Salad Dressing. 

One teaspoonful salt, small half teaspoon pepper, the 
same of dry mustard, two tablespoonfuls finely chopped 
parsley, a taste of grated onion, one gill of vinegar and 
the same of oil. Out up cold potatoes, boiled not too 
long, but firm and solid, into small mouthfuls, pour the 
dressing over them and let them stand in it half an hour 
before serving. 

" Ellen must save out some of the potatoes she cooks 
for dinner," said Mrs. King, " and not boil them quite as 
long as the others." 

" But we have new potatoes, ma'am," said Ellen. 

" Oh, those will be delicious! Save the very smallest 
for us — all the little buttons you can pick out. Those 
that are too large for mouthfuls can be cut into two or 
three pieces.'' 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 119 

When Rose had finished the veal loaf and packed it in 
the pan, ready to go into the oven when Ellen's bread 
should come out, she set about trying a new recipe. 

No. 107 — Grandma's Short-Cake. 

One pound sifted flour, dried in the oven for a few min- 
utes, but not browned, a quarter of a pound butter, a 
heaping tablespoonful lard, a salt- spoonful salt, a pinch 
of soda dissolved in just enough vinegar to cover it 
and well worked in. Put together with ice- water, and 
roll out half an inch thick. Cut into squares, prick with 
a fork and bake light brown. 

" How ca/n any one tell how much a pinch is. Aunt 
Jane? " asked Rose. "Is it about as much as when you 
take a pinch of anybody's arm? " 

"Oh, no," said her aunt, laughing, "a pinch is just 
about so much," showing her by taking up some soda be- 
tween her finger and thumb. "A pinch is a pinch, that's 
all. A cook gets to feel those things after a while. 
There's a sort of instinct about it." 

" Now the salad dressing is done, aunty," said Mabel. 
" "What shall I do with it?" 



120 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

"Ask Ellen for a funnel, and we'll pour it into this bot- 
tle and cork it tightly. We musn't forget to take along 
a small bottle of vinegar, too, for some people, especially 
children, don't like so large a proportion of oil.'' 

^^Mayl make the biscuit now? "asked Edith, when 
her loaf-cake was kneaded into loaves and set to rise in 
the pan. 

" Better wait until the bread comes out. The ginger- 
bread is in already, and we must leave a place for Grace's 
pies. Tour biscuits will contain soda, you know, and so 
musn't stand a moment after they are mixed before they 
go into the oven. I wonder what keeps Grace so long at 
her pies; it seems as if they ought to be ready by this 
time." 

It was not long before Grace came in, a pie carefully 
balanced on the palm of each hand. A glance at their 
extremely ornate appearance explained the delay. In the 
middle of one she had made not a bad imitation of a rose, 
whose paste leaves stood out quite naturally; around this 
was a series of rings laid over one another like shingles, 
producing a very pretty effect, and round the edge was a 
border made of long strips interlaced so as to make a sort 
of braid. The other was bordered with a series of little 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 121 

buttons, touching one another; inside of this was a circle 
of leaves quite neatly made, with a slender vine con- 
necting the ends, and in the center in fat letters and fig- 
ures was the date, "July 4, 1876." 

" Why, Grace, what a pie-ist you are! " exclaimed her 
brother Eob, who had stolen in to take a peep at the do- 
ings of the busy bees. " You're the Great Champion 
American Ornamental Pie Constructor, and no mistake. 
That pie's too fine to eat; let's send it to the Centen- 
nial." 

" You may send your piece there if you like, Rob," 
said his aunt, " but the rest of us would prefer to eat ours 
ourselves. Now, Edith, Ellen says it is safe for you to 
make your biscuit, and when that comes out, our work 
will be done for to-day." 

A new idea came into Aunt Jane's head, however, and 
she whispered privately to Edith, " I'm coming over by- 
and-by to contrive a little surprise for the rest of them. 
Do you have sixteen nice large eggs ready after dinner 
and some boiling water." 

So in the afternoon she slipped over alone, and telling 
Mrs. Lane she wanted to have a private conference with 
Edith, proceeded to the kitchen. First she gave her this 
recipe: 



122 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

No. 108 — Stuffed Eggs. 

Boil eggs hard; take off the shells without breaking 
the whites, cut the eggs neatly in two in the middle, take 
out the yolk and rub to a powder, which mix with salt, 
pepper and dry mustard. Fill each hollow with this 
mixture, then place the ends together again and wrap in 
tissue paper. A picnic dish. 

" Now put on the eggs where they will boil gently for 
ten or fifteen minutes. You know if the water boils vi- 
olently they will knock against one another and crack 
the shells, and that would spoil the shape of them. While 
they are boiling we will cut this paper, if you will get 
some scissors." 

Aunt Jane had brought with her several sheets of white 
tissue paper, and she showed Edith how to cut the ends 
in fringe like motto-papers. " We'll not wrap the eggs in 
them to-day," said she, " but have them ready for the 
morning." 

When the eggs were boiled, the shells were carefully 
picked off according to directions, and the beautiful, 
smooth white balls cut in two. Mrs. King said there 
were no particular directions about mixing the condiments. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 123 

A teaspoonful each of black pepper and dry mnstard, 
with two of salt, would, she thought, be enough. When 
the whites were refilled and carefully placed on their ends 
in a dish, touching each other closely that they might 
not lose shape, it was found that there was still a consid- 
erable quantity of the seasoned yolk left. 

" We'll put that into the salad-dressing," said Aunt 
Jane. " It can't hurt it, and it may make it a little 
nicer. I shall be in here again the first thing to-morrow 
morning." 

There was not much left to be done the next morning. 
Aunt Jane went in very early to Mrs. Lane's to superin- 
tend the making of the sandwiches. 

" They must be cut thin, and they must be small," 
said she to Edith, " if you want them to be good. Those 
dreadful lumps of thick bread with great mats of ham be- 
tween that some people mistalce for sandwiches, are fit 
only for savages, and ours are to be eaten by civilized 
beings." 

Then she showed Edith how to butter the bread, so 
that the slices should exactly fit, one on the other; the 
chopped ham was scattered thickly over the lower one, a 
little mustard wet up with vinegar was sprinkled lightly 



124 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

upon it, and then the matching slices were neatly fitted 
down and pressed together. Afterward each double slice 
was cut into several pieces, easy to be handled. 

Then the biscuits were split and buttered, and each 
stufied egg was wrapped in its piece of tissue paper. 
The tea and coffee were first turned into pitchers, where 
cream was added with a moderate amount of sugar, and 
then poured into bottles, which were made secure by having 
a piece of cloth tied down tightly over each cork. Some 
additional sugar was carried along in a well- washed pickle 
bottle, this being more easily managed than a paper, and 
a supply of salt was not forgotten. 

" I can't imagine," said Mr. Lane to Mrs. King, as they 
were all seated at their pleasant lunch in a shady grove, 
" how you have managed to remember everything. My 
idea of a picnic is that some of the most important ar- 
ticles are alwavs found to have been left behind when the 
t/ 

time comes to use them." 

" I always begin by making a list of everything that 
can possibly be needed," replied she. "At home, 
where we have these gipsy parties very often, I keep a 
permanent one, and just vary it as occasion requires. I 
never feel safe without it, becau.se it is often the most ob- 



AXTNT jane's COOKING CLASS. 125 

vious tilings that are forgotten, every one thinking them 
a matter of course. Now, we have reduced gipsying to 
such a system that our picnics are nearly as well served 
as our dinner-tables." 

It is pleasant to be able to say that the good things 
which our young friends had expended so much labor 
upon proved very satisfactory. The veal loaf was especi- 
ally liked, while Grace's ornamented pies and Edith's 
pretty stujffed eggs were much admired by the young peo- 
ple. There was only one thing that would have pleased 
them better; they would have liked to do some of the 
cooking on the spot. 

" That's all very well for young ladies and gentlemen 
who want to make a frolic of it," said Aunt Jane, " but 
we old folks like to rest when we get out into the woods; 
we don't want to work. If I have to do that, I'd 
rather it should be in my own comfortable kitchen." 

" I can tell you we're very thankful to have such a 
pleasant excursion as this, any way you like to manage 
it, Aunt Jane," said Rose, speaking for the rest; and 
they all agreed with her. 



126 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



NINTH DAY. 

"Dear me! " said Mrs. Vernon, in a despairing tone, as 
she saw from her bedroom window a carriage drive up to 
the door; "there's Mrs. Harvey and her two daughters 
come in from the country to lunch, and there is not a 
thing in the house! I told Khoda she might spend the 
day out, and we are to have a six o'clock dinner; and as 
Mr. Yernon wasn't to come to lunch, I thought we would 
just have a cup of tea and some bread and butter and pre- 
serves for lunch. What shall I do? They'll be hungry 
after their journey." 

" Just leave it to me," said Mrs. King, w^hom she ad- 
dressed. " Lend me the girls to help cook, and let Mary 
set the table, and you shall have lunch in half an hour." 

" I know you can do wonders, Jane, but I don't believe 
you can get up anything with what you'll find in this 
house!" said Mrs. Vernon. 

But Mrs. King was already far on her way to the kitch- 
en, where her sister sent the three girls to join her, while 



" AUNT jane's OOOKINO GLASS. 127 

she herself descended to the parlor to receive her com- 
pany. 

"Not an egg in the house!" said Aunt Jane, after a 
rapid survey of the pantry. " Mabel, take a dish and run 
in and asked Mrs. Lane to lend us half a dozen. Tell her 
it is a case of necessity. I'll look in the cellar and see 
what the butcher left for dinner. Tomatoes? Why, 
we're rich! Grace, make a mayonnaise dressing instant- 
er. Amy, wipe the tomatoes and pick off the stems, and 
then cut them up just as we do at home." And Mrs. 
King herself broke up a cake of chocolate into small 
pieces, and put it in a saucepan with water over the fire 
to melt. 

"Ah, Mabel, you have the eggs! Now break them 
carefully, whites and yolks separate, and beat them up. 
Amy, when you have done cutting up the tomatoes, get 
out a frying-pan and put it over the fire with a tablespoon- 
fal of butter, and stir this chocolate every minute or two, 
to keep it from burning." And in the mean time Mrs. 
King was rapidly cutting fair, even slices of bread from 
one of Ehoda's loaves. 

" Now, girls, the first one that has time, toast this bread 

as nicely as you know how, and butter each piece on both 

sides as soon as it is done." 
9 



128 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

When she had cut enough bread for toast, Mrs. King 
took the yolks which Mabel had been beating, and added 
to them a small cupful of milk, some pepper and salt, and 
lastly the whites of the eggs. The butter in the frying- 
pan was now " hissing hot," so, pouring her omelette 
gently in, she set it over the fire. From time to time as 
it cooked, she slipped a broad-bladed knife under it to 
prevent its burning, and in seven or eight minutes, when 
it was done, she laid a dish bottom upward over the top 
of the frying-pan, which she turned upside dov/n, leaving 
the omelette in the dish. In the meantime, Grace, hav- 
ing finished making the dressing and poured it over the 
tomatoes, prepared the chocolate under her aunt's direc- 
tions, by adding more boiling water and milk to it; then 
scalded the teapot and made a cup of tea, and the lunch 
was ready to serve. 

Mary had set the table nicely, and was now at liberty 
to wait on it. The omelette and buttered toast came first, 
with the chocolate; then the plates were changed and a 
tomato salad came on with plain bread and butter, and to 
finish off the meal there were canned peaches with a 
plate of crackers, and a cup of tea for those who wished it. 

" It isn't twice in a season that I am caught without 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 129 

cake in the house," said Mrs. Vernon, after her friends 
were gone; " but to-day happened to be one of the times." 

"Why can't we make some this afternoon, mamma?" 
inquired Grace, whose taste for cooking seemed to grow 
with exercise, instead of wearing off as her mother had 
feared it would, — " though I don't believe any one missed 
the cake at all, for they all seemed to enjoy their lunch 
very much." 

" I think your idea is a good one, Gracie," said Mrs. 
Bang, " and I have some nice recipes that we haven't 
tried yet; so if mamma has no objection, we'll do as much 
as we have time for. What are yon going to have for 
dessert? " 

" I haven't the slightest idea," said Mrs. Yemon, " I 
suppose Khoda will make a pudding of some sort." 

" Well, if WB happen to think of anything nice, we'll 
make it, and Ehoda won't object to having some of her 
work done beforeliand. Come, girls, on with your aprons 
again, that is, if you want to, and we'll see what we can 
do." 

The little girls had become such enthusiasts in the mat- 
ter of cooking, that this invitation was never given in 
vain, for Aunt Jane was a charming companion, and en- 



130 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

livened the hours passed in the kitchen with such pleasant 
conversation that they wanted no better amusement. 

"I wish we could make some blanc-mange," said 
Mabel. " I like that better than anything else." 

" It is too late to have that to-day," replied Aunt Jane, 
" because it wouldn't have time to get hard. We can 
make some for to-morrow's dessert, but even then we 
must use farina or corn-starch, because gelatine needs to 
soak for a long time. Most people prefer these because 
there is more body to them; but I will give you some 
recipes for both kinds." 

No. 109— BLAifC-MANGE. 

One quart milk, one oz. Cooper's gelatine or isinglass, 
two teaspoonfuls vanilla, three-quarters of a cup sugar. 
Keep out one cupful of the milk, and soak the gelatine 
in it for not less than an hour; scald the rest of the milk, 
and pour into it, afterward heating (not boiling), all to- 
gether until the gelatine is perfectly dissolved. Stir fre- 
quently, then add the sugar and pour into moulds wet 
with cold water. To be eaten with cream, boiled custard, 
or any kind of preserves or canned fruit. 

" It doesn't tell what kind of sugar you must take," 
remarked Mabel. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 131 

" I use granulated sugar for almost all kinds of cook- 
ing," replied Aunt Jane. " It is so easy to manage. For 
hard pudding-sauce, or for sifting over the top of pies 
or cake, you should have powdered; and for ginger- 
bread or any kind of cake or pudding made with molasses, 
coffee sugar is nicest, unless brown is expressly men- 
tioned. Here are some more receipts for you.'' 

No. 110 — Farina Blanc-Mange. 

One quart new milk, two ounces farina, half a salt- 
spoon salt. Put the milk over boiling water, keeping 
out a little to mix with the farina. When the hot milk 
has a film over it, add the farina and salt, and stir until 
it forms quite a thick batter; then pour into moulds wet 
with cold water. 

No. Ill — Chocolate Meringue. 

Dissolve three tablespoonfuls corn-starch in two table- 
spoonfals milk; break up two ounces of sweetened choco- 
late in a tin basin over boiling water, and to it add 
gradually the rest of a pint of milk; stir until perfectly 
smooth, and when it is scalding, pour in the starch and 
stir till it thickens; then add the yolks of three eggs 
beaten with two large tablespoonfuls sugar, and stir until 



132 SIXLITTLEOOOKS. 

much thicker than soft custard, and when somewhat 
cooled, add one teaspoonful vanilla, and pour it into a glass 
dish. Just before serving (when it must be perfectly 
cold), cover it with a meringue made of the whites of the 
eggs beaten stiflf, with four tablespoonfuls sugar. 

No. 112 — Chocolate Blanc-Mange. 

Make exactly as in recipe No. 109, with the addition 
of four heaping tablespoonfuls grated chocolate rubbed 
smooth in a little milk; this is to be added as soon as the 
gelatine is perfectly dissolved. 

No. 113 — Corn Starch Blanc-Mange. 

Heat one quart milk to boiling, then stir in four table- 
spoonfuls corn starch wet in a little cold water, with one 
saltspoon salt; boil five minutes, then add one small cup 
sugar, beaten with the yolk, of three eggs; boil two min- 
utes longer, stirring all the while; take from the fire 
and stir in the whites. Wet the mould with cold water. 
Many people prefer this without the eggs. Farina blanc- 
mange may be made in the same way, but boiled fifteen 
minutes instead of five before the eggs are added. 



AUNT JA-Ne'S cooking CLASS. 133 

No. 114 — Tapioca Blanc-Mange. 

Soak one-half pound tapioca in a cup of cold water 
for four hours. Heat one pint rich milk and stir the 
tapioca into it. When it is quite dissolved, add three- 
quarters of a cup sugar and a pinch of salt. Boil slowly 
fifteen minutes, stirring all the time; take from the fire 
and beat till nearly cold, then add two teaspoonfuls of 
vanilla or bitter almonds, and pour into a mould dipped 
in cold water. 

No. 115 — Chocolate Cream. 

Mix together according to previous directions two 
ounces chocolate, three eggs, a quarter of a pound sugar 
and a pint of milk. Stir over boiling water until smooth 
and creamy. Toast slices of any light, common cake, and 
pour the hot cream over them. 

"We'll take the corn-starch blanc-mange for to-mor- 
row," said Aunt Jane, "but we must find something for 
to-day's dessert. What shall it be ?" 

"Tip-top pudding," said Grace; "such as Ehoda 
makes." 

"Can't we have our Queen of Puddings, mamma?" 
said Amy. 



134: SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

"Tou extravagant little things! You want iQo thing 
but the richest and most delicate dishes that can be got 
up! I'm disposed to try something plain to-day. But 
I'll give you the receipts for the others too." 

No. 116— Tip-Top Pudding. 

Five oz. coffee sugar, one of butter, one quart milk, one 
pint stale bread crumbs, one lemon, four eggs. Grate 
the lemon rind and crumb the bread; beat the yolks of 
the eggs in the pudding dish; add gradually the sugar, 
lemon rind and butter rubbed to a cream ; then the milk 
and bread alternately. Bake in a slow oven until firm. 
Beat the whites to a stiff froth with four tablespoonfuls 
powdered sugar, and enough of the lemon juice to flavor; 
spread this over the top and brown in the upper part of 
the oven. To be eaten hot or cold. 

No. 117 — Queen of Puddings. 

One and a half cups sugar, two of fine bread crumbs, 
five eggs, one tablespoonful butter, one quart rich milk, 
one half cup jelly or jam, flavoring to taste. Rub the 
butter into one cup of the sugar; add the yolks beaten 
very light, and stir to a cream; next the bread crumbs, 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 135 

preyiously soaked in the milk, lastly the flavoring. Bake 
in a buttered pudding dish until " set," then draw to the 
front of the oven, cover first with jelly or jam, then with 
a meringue made of the whites whipped with the half 
cup of sugar. 

Bake only to a very light brown. 

No. 118 — Bread PuDDiNa. 

One quart milk, two cups bread crumbs, four eggs, 
beaten separately, two tablespoonfuls softened butter, one 
of white sugar, a little nutmeg, a quarter of a teaspoonful 
soda. Soak the crumbs well in the milk, add the yolks, 
well beaten, then the butter, seasoning and soda, lastly 
the whites. Eat with sweet sauce. A cupful of currants 
or raisins makes a very nice fruit pudding of this. 

No. 119 — Bread and Butter Pudding. 

Four eggs, three cups milk, three-quarters of a cup 
sugar, one teaspoonful lemon or vanilla, a little nutmeg, 
some stale bread and butter. To be eaten cold. 

" I should like to try that," said Grace. "Can we?" 

" If Ehoda has any bread stale enough. We must look 

and see. Oh, yes, here is some that will do perfectly. 



136 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

Cut this piece of a loaf into thin slices, Grace, and then 
spread them thickly with butter. Amy, you may make 
a custard of the rest of the materials, and Mabel can go 
to work on her farina blanc-mange.^' 

When the pudding materials were prepared, a round 
baking dish was selected, into which the slices of bread 
and butter were neatly fitted, being cut to shape; each 
layer was sprinkled with sugar until the dish was half 
full. Then a small-sized, heavy plate was turned down 
over them to prevent them from floating, and tbe hot 
custard ( for it had, of course, been made with scalded 
milk), was poured over them. After soaking for fifteen 
minutes the plate was taken off and the dish placed in 
the oven. 

" You see the bread stays down very nicely to-day," 
said Mrs. King. " If it had risen to the top so as to 
threaten to make a hard crust, then we should have had 
to lay a silver tablespoon on it to keep it down until the 
custard was ' set,' as it is said to be as soon as it loses its 
liquid quality. By the way, I ought to have told you in 
giving you the recipe, that you can vary this delightfully 
by spreading the slices of bread and butter with jam or 
jelly instead of sugar; and also, that any kind of bread 
pudding is at least as good boiled as baked — I think better. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 137 

" How do you boil puddings, Aunt Jane?" 

" If they are liquid you must boil them in a tin form; 
but for any kind of dough or paste puddings a square of 
heavy unbleached shirting is the best thing that ever was 
contrived. It must first be wrung out of boiling water, 
then well floured on the inside, then the edges gathered 
together and tied with a strong string, leaving a little 
room for the pudding or dumplings to ' swell ' in." 

" I wish we could make a dumpling," said Grace. 
" We haven't had one in a long time." 

'' We will, the first time we come in to cook in the 
morning. Not to-morrow, because we shall have Mabel's 
blanc-mange for dessert. How are you getting on, Ma- 
bel?" 

" Pretty well, I think. Is'nt it thick enough now? " 

" Yes, I think it is. Don't forget to wet the inside of 
your moulds with cold water." 

While the bread and butter was soaking in custard, the 
other girls had been preparing the materials for some 
light cakes, for which Mrs. King had given them the 
recipes. 

No. 120 — Emily's Cake. 
One cup sugar, one-half cup butter, three eggs, half a 



138 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

cup sweet milk, one teaspoonful cream tartar, one-kalf do. 
soda, two and a half cups flour. Bake in jelly-cake tins, 
and fill with jelly or chocolate. 

No. 121 — Corn Starch Cake. 

One cup butter, rubbed to a cream, with two of sugar, 
three eggs beaten separately, one cup milk, one teaspoon 
soda, two cups of flour and half a cup com starch, 
sifted together with two teaspoons cream tartar. 

" Now I think of it," said Aunt Jane, after giving 
them the last, " this will not do for to-day, as our dinner 
is late and we shan't need any cake for tea. It is very 
nice when it is fresh, but ought to be eaten the same day, 
or at least within twenty-four hours. Here are some nice 
little things that will keep a long time." 

No. 122— Sugar Cakes. 

One heaping teacup sugar, three quarters of a cap 
butter, one quarter do. ^weet milk, two well-beaten eggs, 
two teaspoons cream tartar and one of soda, one salt- 
spoon salt, spice to taste, flour enough to roll out. Bake 
quickly in a hot oven. 

'' 1 have seen mamma put eggs into one side of the 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 139 

scales and sugar into the other/' said Grace. '' What 
was that for?" 

" Oh, that's old-fashioned sponge-cake. Hardly any- 
one makes it so now, bnt it can't be denied that it is the 
most elegant and exact way, and can not fail if yonr 
materials are good and your oven just right. You may 
as well write it down." 

No. 123 — Ne Plus Ultra Sponge Cae:e. 

Ten eggs, their weight in sugar, half their weight in 
fiour, juice and rind of a lemon. 

" Wliy is that any better than weighing things by the 
pound. Aunt Jane? " 

" On account of the difference in the size of eggs. If 
they happen to be small, your cake may be rather plain ; 
if they are uncommonly large it will be stiff and eggy. 
Using them as a measure of weight keeps every thing in 
its due proportion." 

" I should like to try it some time, just for fun," said 
Grace. 

" So you shall. Of course the eggs are beaten separately, 
and very light; the sugar goes with the yolks after they 
are thoroughly beaten, and is beaten again with them; 



140 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

then beat in the lemon juice and peel, next the sifted 
flour, and last of all the stiff whites. After they go in, 
beat just enough to mix them, and bake immediately." 

Rhoda did not get back until rather late, and was well 
pleased to find her dessert already prepared. "I was 
thinking I'd have to put you off with a minute pudding 
or some Jenny Linds," said she. 

" Oh, what are they? give us the receipts!" cried G-race, 
pulling out her note book and writing down 

No. 124 — MmuTE Pudding. 

Boil a pint of milk with half a teaspoonful of salt. As 
soon as the milk begins to rise, stir in one pint of flour. 
When it is thoroughly mixed it is ready to serve. 

" But the best part of it is the sauce," said Rhoda. 

No. 125 — Lemon Sauce. 

One large cup sugar and small half cup butter creamed 
together, one well-beaten egg stirred in, all the juice and 
half the grated peel of a lemon, a small teaspoonful nut- 
meg; beat hard ten minutes, and add three tablespoon- 
fuls boiling water, one at a time. Heat the sauce over 
steam, but don't boil it. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 141 

" Ton have to make the sauce first, and then keep it 
hot over the steam of the tea-kettle," said Rhoda, " 'cause 
the pudding must be served the minute it's done." 

" Now for the Jennj Linds," said Grace. 

No. 126 — ^Jenny Linds. 

One tumblerful milk and the same of flour, half a tea- 
spoonful salt and one egg. When the egg is well beaten 
stir in half the milk, then salt and flour, and beat all to- 
gether; then add the rest of the milk. Bake in patty- 
pans and serve with 

No. 127 — Jelly Sauce. 

Half a cup currant jelly, two tablespoonfuls melted 
butter, the juice and half the grated peel of a lemon, 
half a teaspoonful nutmeg, one tablespoonful powdered 
sugar, two glasses wine. Beat the jelly to a smooth bat- 
ter, then add gradually the butter, lemon and nutmeg; 
beat hard, then add sugar, and lastly wine. Keep warm, 
and also well covered, to prevent the escape of the flavor. 

" That's very rich sauce," observed Amy. 

"Yes, too rich for frequent use. When we make 
dumplings I'll give you the receipts tor some plainer 
ones." 



149 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



TENTH DAY. 

"We are going to have company to tea to-morrow 
evening," said Mrs. Vernon one morning. "Have you 
girls a mind to get us up something nice?" 

" Yes, indeed, Mamma. What shall we make?" 

" I wish you'd let me be company, too, and not know 
anything about what we are going to have until I see it 
on the table. What do you say to that, Jane? " 

" I should enjoy it. You give us carte hlanche^ of 
course?" 

" Certainly. Do whatever you please, and send for 
whatever you want. You can't go amiss." 

Thereupon Mrs. King and the young people withdrew 
to hold a private consultation. 

"Let's have some new things. Aunt Jane," said Grace. 
" Something different fi-om what Ehoda makes." 

" I thought we would have some huckleberry cake," 
answered Aunt Jane; "but I suppose Ehoda knows all 
about that." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 143 

" Oh, nO; I don't believe she does, for we never have it. 
It sounds excellent." 

"Then there's a particularly nice kind of tea-cake that 1 
know of, and that I don't believe your mother has the 
receipt for. And then you ought to know how to make 
old-fashioned pound cake." 

"Oh, we're always having pound-cake! I can't bear 
it! Please let us put that off till some other day, and 
give us something new." 

" So be it, then, but I'll give you the recipe while I 
think of it. That won't hurt you, at all events. 



yy 



No. 128— Pound Cake. 

One pound sugar, one of flour, one of eggs, one of 
butter. Many people use but three-quarters of a pound 
of butter, and some add a glass of brandy. Beat im- 
mensely^ and bake with care, not disturbing it after it 
is once set in the oven, or it will almost certainly be 
heavy, 

No. 129— Company Tea Cake. 

One quart flour and one of milk rubbed smoothly 

together; stir in six eggs beaten very light, and two-thirds 

of a cup softened butter. To be eaten hot, with butter. 
10 



144 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

No. 130 — Huckleberry Cake. ^ 

Two quarts flour, four tablespoons sugar, one very heap- 
ing tablespoonful butter, one teaspoon soda, two of cream 
tartar, milk enough to make a very thick batter. One 
quart berries. May be baked in muffin -rings, or in square 
flat tins. To be eaten hot, with butter. 

No. 131 — ^Washington Cake. 

Three cups of sugar, two of butter, one of milk, four 
of flour, five eggs, one teaspoonful soda and two of cream 
tartar. Mix as usual for other cake, then add half a pound 
currants and a quarter of pound raisins, both thoroughly 
floured. Some citron, finely sliced (my recipe says a 
handful,) and a little spice. 

"What kind of spice, aunty?" 

" Cinnamon and nutmeg are the most common, but I 
like a little allspice quite as well, especially where there 
is fruit. And you must all remember, when you come to 
bake cake by yourselves, that fruit cake requires a much 
longer time than the same recipe would need without it." 

"Why does the fruit have to be floured?" asked 
Mabel. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 145 

" It will all sink to the bottom of the cake if it isn't," 
replied Mrs. King. "And even when it is carefully 
dredged, it will sometimes have a strong inclination to 
fall, especially if the batter is at all too thin, or the oven 
too slow. It requires care and judgment to bake fruit cake 
well. One great thing is to keep the heat perfectly even. 
Here is one you can try next winter, but I should advise 
you to make only half the receipt for the first time." 

" Oh, I know what that means," said Grace, tossing her 
head. " Tou think we're going to spoil it." 

" I think it is just as well to be careful, and that it 
would be a pity to waste those good nuts. But here's the 
^ecipe." 

No. 132— Nut-Oakb. 

Two cups sugar, one of butter, three of flour, one of 
cold water, four eggs, one teaspoonful soda and two of 
cream tartar, two cupfuls hickory nut kernels carefully 
picked out, without any teeth-breaking scraps of shell left 
among them. 

" Wliy don't some of these receipts say baking-powder? " 
asked Mabel. " Rhoda always keeps it in the kitchen." 



146 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

" Because the most parti cnlar cooks think that the fresh 
combination of soda and cream ^tartar is nicer. But if 
you ever happen to be without one of these and have bak- 
ing-powder, you may use sis much of it as are required of 
the other two put together, or perhaps rather more, and 
you will be about right. Here is a nice recipe for plain 
loaf-cake." 

No. 133 — Beeab Cake. 

One pound risen dough, half a pound sugar, a quarter 
of a pound butter, half a tumblerful currants, one well- 
beaten egg, half a nutmeg, the grated rind and half the 
juice of a lemon. Mix thoroughly with the hands and 
set to rise. Leave it in a warm place for several hours, 
and do not bake until light. It is better if baked in two 
small loaves than in one large one. Don't forget to but- 
ter the tins well. It is not necessary to line them with 
paper. 

" How are we to make the dough, Aunt Jane? '' 
" You will have to depend on Ehoda for that. When 
you are two or three years older, you can learn how 
to use yeast; but at present we will confine our attention 



AUKT jane's cooking CLASS. 147 

to simple cooking. But I don't think you've had my 
favorite muffins yet." 

No. 134 — Indian-Meal Muffins. 

Two cups corn-meal, one of flour, two and a half of 
milk, three eggs, one tablespoonful lard, two of white 
sugar, one teaspoonful soda, two of cream tartar, one of 
salt. Beat whites and yolks separately, melt the lard, sift 
soda and cream tartar together with the flour (which must 
be added last of all,) and then beat with all your might. 
Bake in small patty-pans. 

No. 135 — Graham Biscuit. 

Three cups Graham flour, one of white flour, three of 
milk, one tablespoonful lard, one well heaped of white 
sugar, one salt-spoon salt, one teaspoonful soda and two 
of cream tartar. Mix as for soda buscuit (No. 104). 

" We might have some Sally Lunns, Mamma," said 
A.my. " They're good." 

"Yes, but real Sally Lunns are made with yeast, and 
the modern imitations are not quite the same thing. 
Our 'company tea-cake' (No. 129) is not very different; 
but I'll give you the recipe." 



148 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

No. 136 — SAI.LY LUKNS. ^ 

One scant quart flour, one cup milk, half a cup lard 
and the same of butter, four eggs, one teaspoonful salt, 
one of cream tartar and half as much soda. Eggs to be 
beaten separately; shortening melted; cream tartar sifted 
into the flour, and soda dissolved in hot water, as usual. 

i^o. 137 — Laplanders. 

One pint Graham flour, one pint warm water, one well- 
beaten egg, half a teaspoonful salt. Beat the egg with 
one or two spoonfuls of the water, add the salt, half the 
water, and the flour; beat thoroughly, then stir in the 
rest of the water. Have gem-pans very hot, butter them, 
and set immediately into the oven. To have these in 
perfection, the small tins, after being heated and but- 
tered, should be set into a hot dripping-pan on the top of 
the stove, and the batter poured in from a pitcher, that 
there may be no possibility of cooling. Made with milk 
instead of water, these may be called Graham puffs. 

" Why is it called Graham flour. Aunt Jane? " 
"Because it was brought into general use in this 
country by Dr. Graham, who thought fine flour extremely 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 149 

unwholesome for everybody, and would have been glad to 
abolish it entirely if he could. It is not quite such a fa- 
vorite now as it was once, but still every one allows that it 
is more wholesome than fine flour, and it makes a pleas- 
ant variety for our table. Brown bread is made with 
yeast, like white." 

" Have you decided yet what we shall have for tea, 
Aunt Jane?'' 

""We'll have huckleberry cake, certainly; and I was 
going to have tea-cake, but I think some biscuit and waf- 
fles will be best. Tou all want to get through in time to 
be dressed for tea, so we'll contrive not to have you too 
late in the kitchen. The biscuits may be put in to bake 
an hour beforehand, as it will not hurt them to stand 
half an hour if they are kept in a warm place; and, before 
you make them, you may mix the batter for the huckle- 
berry cake, all but the soda, which Rhoda will add the last 
thing, and the same with the waffles, which, of course, 
she will have to bake. Some time when we have only 
our own family, I should like to have you learn to finisli 
them entirely." 

" We have no recipes for waffles, aunty." 

*' Tou shall have, if you will get out your note-books. 



150 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

I'll give you three from Mrs. Miller's book, all (telicions, 
as I can testify." 

No. 138— Buffalo Waffles. 

One pound flour, two ounces butter, one quart milk, one 
gill of rice boiled in tbree of water, two even tablespoon- 
fuls baking powder, two teaspoonfuls salt, two tablespoon- 
fuls corn meal, four eggs. Melt the butter in the hot 
rice; sift the flour and powder together; beat the eggs 
very light, and pour in half of the milk, the flour, salt 
and rice; beat thoroughly, and by degrees add the other 
pint of milk, which should not be more than lukewarm. 
In baking, be careful to leave room in the iron for rising. 

" Next comes a recipe for waffles without yeast or soda, 
which I shall take the liberty of re-christening. '^ 

No. 139 — Geneva "Waffles. 

One pint of milk, one pint one and a half gills of 
flour, two oz. of butter, three eggs, half a teaspoonful of 
salt. Melt the butter in the milk, and when sufficiently 
cooled mix it with the flour and salt; beat the whites and 
yolks separately, stir the yolks in the batter, and then the 
whites, very lightly. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 151 

No. 140 — Barby's Waffles. 

One and a half lbs. of flour, one pint or less of boiled 
rice, two and a half pints of sweet, rich milk, one tea- 
spoonful of salt, four eggs. Put the rice in a four-quart 
bowl, separating the eggs, putting the yolks with the rice; 
add the salt, flour, and two pints of the milk, beating very 
thoroughly, then the remaining half pint of milk; beat 
the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add them to the 
batter, and beat well together. When thoroughly beaten, 
make the batter still lighter by lifting and pouring it 
with a tin cup for five minutes. 

"Which of these shall we try, aunty?'' 

" The second, I think, although I should prefer either 
of the others, but we want something very simple, that 
will not detain you late in the kitchen. We haven't 
thought of any sweet-cake yet." 

" Let's have some with fruit in," said Mabel, " because 
I like to stone the raisins." 

" Here is a very nice recipe for that, and one that ought 
to be made to-day, because it wouldn't cut in nice slices 
if we put it off till to-morrow. Then in the morning we 
can make some jumbles so as to have a little variety ; be- 
sides which, some people are afraid of fruit cake." 



152 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

No. 141 — AuEORA Cake. -^ 

Eleven oz. butter, one and a half pints sugar, two and 
a half pints flour, half a pint milk, one gill mixed wine 
and brandy, one and a half lbs. stoned raisins, a quarter 
of a teaspoonful baking powder sifted with the flour, flve 
eggs. Cream the butter, add the sugar and yolks and 
beat until very light; stir in the milk, add alternately the 
whites beaten to a dry froth, and the flour, then the wine, 
and lastly the fruit; bake in deep pans, buttered, and lined 
with paper. 

" There's some business for you, Mabel; it will take you 
a long time to find all the seeds in a pound and a half of 
raisins. In the mean time, the rest of us will be getting 
the other ingredients ready.'' 

By tea-time the next evening, three nicely dressed chil- 
dren were ready to take their places at the table; and 
when the visitors learned that the fresh tea-biscuit, the 
waffles and huckleberry cake, the rich, delicate jumbles 
and fine fruit cake, were the work of those little hands, 
they could scarcely believe their ears. 

" But we had to have help with the baking, you know," 
said Grace, who was too honest to take more praise than 
she deserved. " You musn't give us credit for that." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 153 

"That will all come in time," answered Mrs. Brown, 
"and I should be very proud if my little girls could make 
as nice things as those, even if somebody else did bake 
them." 



154 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 



ELEVENTH DAY. 

" It is a drizzling, cliilly, forlorn kind of day, Aunt 
Jane; don't yon think it would be a good time to have a 
dumpling?'' 

"Excellent; I know you've been wanting to try your 
hand at that, Gracie, for a long time. "We'll not only 
make a dumpling, but we'll write down all kinds of win- 
ter recipes that yon can make by yourselves on Saturday 
mornings, if your lessons haven't tired you too much 
during the week." 

" Oh, I know we shall want to; see if we don't! And 
at any rate, we shall want to know how, whether we do 
it or not." 

" But you will soon find out that to do it well you must 
keep in practice. It is just like playing the piano, or 
drawing, in that respect. Tou will soon lose your skill 
if you don't exercise it." 

" But we have made all our plans for a regular cooking- 
club, and we can't forget. We'll write you abont it, and 
tell yon the nice things we make." 



ATJNT jane's COOKTNa CLASS. 155 

" That will be the next thing to eating them," said 
Aunt Jane. " I know a good many ladies who really en- 
joy sitting down and poring over a cookery book, 
though they haven't the least intention of making the 
things. I shall take a great deal of pleasure in thinking 
of the nice desserts and tea-dishes and lunches you make." 

"Who's going to cook to-day, Aunt Jane?" 

" Only the older girls. Boiled dough of all sorts be- 
longs to the department of pastry, and that, you know, 
the little ones haven't begun upon yet. So if you don't 
mind the rain, you may go for Rose and Edith.' 

" Papa says that people who are afraid of rain must be 
made of eitlier sugar or salt, and think they are going to 
melt. So as I seem to be composed of pretty solid flesh, 
I think I'll go." 

It didn't take long to collect the party, who had been 
groaning a little over being obliged to spend the day in- 
doors, and were glad of something to do. 

Aunt Jane received them in the parlor, where tliey 
were to write their recipes. She had in her hand a very 
old-looking brown book, which when opened sliowed 
pages yellow with age, covered with fine manuscript in 
faded ink. 



156 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

"Oh, what's that. Aunt Jane?" asked Grace.^ 
" My mother's old, old receipt-book, that I remember 
ever since I was a little child. It must have been begun 
at least fifty years ago, as I see her maiden name in it, 
and added to, year by year, for a great many years. Your 
mother surprised me by bringing it out this morning, 
when I thought it had long ago passed over to the ' things 
that were.'" 

" Are we going to make any of the things in it? " 
" Not to-day, perhaps, but you may write down some 
of the directions if you want to, and try them some time 
by yourselves. Here is one of the very oldest." 

No. 142 — A Cheese-Oake. 

Four eggs, half a gill milk, a quarter of a pound but- 
ter, the same of powdered sugar, two ounces grated bread, 
two tablespoonsful brandy and the same of wine, a tea- 
spoonful of rose-water, the same of mixed mace, cinna- 
mon and nutmeg, a quarter of a pound currants. Pre- 
pare puff paste first; have the currants very clean and re- 
serve some for sprinkling over the cheese-cake; sprinkle 
the remainder with flour; stir the butter and sugar to a 
cream; grate the bread and prepare the spice; beat the 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 157 

eggs very light; boil the milk and then add to it half the 
eggs (beaten together) and boil the mixture till it becomes 
a curd, stirring frequently with a knife; then mix in the 
bread, and afterward stir all together, including the cur- 
rants, into the butter and sugar; then add the remaining 
half of the egg, and by degrees the liquor and spice. 
Line patty-pans or pie dishes with puff paste, fill with the 
mixture, sprinkling the reserved currants over the top; 
then bake. 

"What an elaborate receipt! " exclaimed Eose. 

" Not more so than some we have made. It is because 
the directions are so very full that it seems long. It is 
an old English recipe, and a real English housekeeper nev- 
er cares how much time she spends on any thing that is 
to be very nice. Here we like to get through everything 
as fast as possible, and use our time for something else." 

'^ I have often read about cheese-cakes in English sto- 
ries," said Edith, " such as Miss Edgeworth's and Mrs. 
Barbauld's, and the children always seemed to think them 
a great treat." 

" Here is another recipe, which seems very much like 
our modern 'floating island.' " 



158 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

No. 143— A Good Cream. 

To one qnart of boiled milk add the yolks of six eggs 
well beaten up with four tablespoonfuls white sugar; (if 
not sweet enough for your taste you can add more sug- 
ar;) let the milk stand a few minutes before you put in 
the eggs. Beat the whites of the eggs to a froth and 
then stir them in the hot cream; they will rise to the top 
and then may be taken off and drained, and after your 
cream is dished you can put the froth on the top. You 
boil whatever flavor you choose in the milk, and call your 
cream after the flavor. 

"That's simple enough, any way," said Rose. 

" Yes, it's very simple, but I think our taste now-a- 
days requires that the eggs and milk should be thickened 
together by a little boiling. But here's something I know 
you never saw." 

No. 144 GiNOERBREAD-NuTS. 

Two pounds flour, one of butter, half a pound brown 
sugar, one quart sugar-house molasses, two ounces ginger, 
one teaspoonfiil allspice, one of cinnamon, and the same 
of cloves. Cut up the butter in the flour, crush the sugar 



AUNT jane's COOKINa CLASS. 159 

fine with the rolling pin, mix it with the flonr, and after- 
ward add the spice and molasses. Flour your pie-board 
and take the dough, a large handful at a time, and knead 
it in separate cakes ; then knead all very hard together 
for a long time. Out the lump in halves, roll it out in 
two even sheets about half an inch thick, and cut in little 
cakes the size of a cent. Bake on buttered tins in a very 
moderate oven, as gingerbread is more apt to scorch than 
any other cake. 

" Why, what mites of cakes, Mrs. King," said Edith. 
" Hardly larger than a thimble." 

" Oh, they didn't have nickel cents in those days," 
replied Mrs. King. " This means an old-fashioned cop- 
per cent, more like the top of this little canister in size. 
I remember the gingerbread-nuts perfectly, and very 
good they were; but it required a world of patience to 
make them. Another way, and one I liked better, was to 
roll them into little balls like marbles. Here is a recipe 
that I used to think very good. I don't know how I 
should like it now." 

No. 145 — Honey Oake. 

Four cups flour, four eggs, two cups honey, one tea- 
spoonful pearlash, nutmeg or cinnamon to taste. 
11 



160 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

"What is pearlash, Aunt Jane?" 

"A kind of alkali formerly used in cooking, wliich was 
afterward supplanted by saleratus, and now by soda. 
Pearlash is a refined preparation of potash, which is made 
from wood ashes." 

"Then it must be what they make soap with," said 
Grace. 

" Yes, the same thing. Lye is an alkali in a liquid 
form. From this dear old receipt-book I can give yon a 
direction for making soap, if you like — ^both hard and 
soft." 

" Thank you, my dear aunt, we won't trouble you so 
long as we can buy it ready-made. Perhaps if we are 
ever cast away on a desert island and hav^ nothing to 
wash with, we may be glad to have the receipt." 

" Now it is time to think of our dumpling," said Aunt 
Jane. 

No. 14:6 — Crust for Dumplings. 

Two cups milk, one heaping tablespoonful lard and the 
same of butter, one teaspoonful soda and two of cream 
tartar, one salt-spoon salt, flour enough to make a soft 
dough. Some people prefer it made with two well-beat- 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 161 

en eggs to a pound of flour, mixed with water enough 
to make a dough; the other ingredients the same. 

No. 147— Suet Paste. 

Rub well with half a pound finely chopped beef suet, 
three-quarters of a pound flour, and one saltspoon salt; 
make into a paste with cold water, work it well, beat it 
with the rolling-pin, and roll it out two or tliree times. 
This paste answers for any kind of boiled fruit pudding. 

No. 148 — Potato Paste. 

Mash one pound boiled potatoes, while still warm, and 
rub into them with the hands three-quarters of a pound 
flour and half a teaspoonful salt; make it into a stiff 
paste with cold water; beat and roll as above. Especial- 
ly nice for roller dumplings. 

" What are they. Aunt Jane? " 

" Ton may as well write down the recipe.*' 

No. 149 — Poller Dumplings. 

Take any of the above kinds of paste and roll out very 
thin. Then spread it evenly to within half an inch of the 
edge with any kind of jam or similar preserve (not 



162 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

liquid), then begin with the side next yon and roll up 
carefully to the shape of a bolster. The farther edge shonld 
be left uncovered for an inch, and the edges wet all round 
that they may adhere to each other. Then take a piece 
of stout cloth of the same shape as the roll, but larger, 
roll the dumpling in it, and tie up the ends, first dipping 
the cloth in hot water, wringing it out and flouring the 
inside. 

" Then you boil it, I suppose," said Edith. 

" Oh, yes, that is always understood of a dumpling, 
though I have seen a recipe for a baked one. I never 
tried it, but I have it here, and you may copy it if you 
choose.'^ 

No. 150 — Baked Apple Dctmplings. 

Prepare a regular " dumpling-crust '' ; roll it out, cut 
into squares and in the center of each lay a juicy, tart 
apple, pared and cored; bring the corners of the square 
neatly together and pinch them slightly. Lay in a but- 
tered baking pan, the joined edges downward, and bake to 
a fine brown. When done, brush over with beaten egg 
and set back into the oven to glaze for a few minutes. 
Sift powdered sugar over them and eat with sauce. 



AUNT JANE'S COOKING CLASS. 163 

No. 151 — To GLAZE Pastry. 

The appropriate glazing for meat pies is made with 
beaten yolk of egg alone, laid on with a feather or paste- 
brush ; for a lighter color (like that for the baked dump- 
lings), the whole of the egg may be beaten together. The 
best method of glazing fruit tarts before they are sent to 
the oven is to moisten the paste with ice-water, sift sugar 
thickly upon it, and press it lightly with the hand; but 
when a whiter icing is preferred, the pastry must be drawn 
from the oven when nearly baked and brushed with white 
of egg whisked to a froth, then well covered with the 
sifted sugar and sprinkled with a few drops of water be- 
fore it is put in again. 

No. 152 — Flaxy Paste. 

After mixing together as for puff paste (No. 64), and 
giving the first application of butter, brush over with 
whipped white of egg before you fold it to roll out again. 
Repeat this process each time, or four times in all. 

" That has nothing to do with dumplings, has it, Aunt 
Jane?" 

" No, but I was reminded of it by the directions for 



164: SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

glazing. It does not make the paste taste any better; if 
anything, it will not be quite as tender, but it will flake 
very elegantly, and is handsome when you are preparing 
for company." 

No. 153 — Bakiistg Powder Biscuit. 

One lb. flour, one tablespoonful butter and two of lard, 
three-quarters of a pint sweet milk, one even teaspoonful 
salt and five of baking powder, sifted with the flour; rub 
the shortening through with the hand until quite fine, 
pour in the milk, mix lightly, and roll out on a floured 
board without any kneading, cut with a round cutter, 
and bake in a quick oven. 

"What do you give us biscuit now for. Aunt Jane?" 
" Because the very same recipe makes capital dumpling- 
paste, and I want to give you your choice. Now we 
come to what we shall have to-day — peach dumpling." 
" Oh, good ! I didn't know we had any peaches." 
" I think the fact has been carefully concealed from you 
because the peaches are not ripe enough to eat raw; they 
are rather hard and green, but they will do very well for 
a pie or pudding." 



AUNT jane's COOKINa CLASS. 165 

No. 154 — Peach Dumpling. 

Make a paste by any of the above recipes; roll it out 
to half an inch thickness, pile as many cut-up peaches on 
it as you think the paste will cover, mixing through them 
a tablespoonful of coffee sugar; gather the edges of the 
paste carefully together, so as to make the dumpling as 
nearly as possible a round ball ; tie it in a well-floured cloth 
wrung out of hot water; turn a plate upside dovni in the 
kettle to prevent the cloth from sticking to it; plunge the 
dumpling into boiling water and boil two hours. 

" Now we will go down to the kitchen," said Aunt 
Jane, '' and while Grace is making the paste. Rose and 
Edith, between them, can make some cake for tea." 

"Shall I go into the cellar to make it, Aunt Jane?" 
asked Grace. 

" Oh no, that is not necessary for boiled paste, or dough, 
as some people call it, though dough is properly only 
what is raised with yeast. It will be just as nice made 
here, and it is more sociable for us to be all together. 
Make your paste from the first recipe — simple ' dumpling 
crust.' Now, Eose, as we have had nothing here for a 
long time but fine cake, you may make some ginger cup- 
cakes, after one of these old recipes." 



166 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

ISTo. 155 — Molasses Cup-Cakes. -^ 

Two cups molasses, two of brown sugar rolled fine, one 
of rich milk, one of butter, five of sifted flour, five eggs, 
one heaping tablespoonful ginger, one teaspoonful all- 
spice and one of cloves. Bake in small tins in a 
moderate oven. If not spiced enough for the taste, add 
more ginger. 

"Why do they so often speak of 'rich milk,' Aunty?" 

" I suppose because some people use skimmed milk for 
cooking, after taking off the cream for coffee, and the 
person who writes the recipe doesn't want to have the ar- 
ticle spoiled. Never use skim-milk in cooking, if you 
can get any other. Oh, I forgot that the peaches were 
not prepared yet; you two girls may pare and cut them 
up while Gracie is making the paste, and afterwards she 
will help you to prepare your materials." 

"Does this paste look about right. Aunt Jane?" asked 
Grace when she had rolled it out. 

"Yes, just right; now we must have a two-quart tin 
pan or a round vegetable-dish to lay it in to keep the 
peaches in place. If Rhoda will wring the cloth out of 
hot water for you, you can rub it inside with flour, then 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 167 

lay it in the dish, put in your paste and afterward 
the peaches and sugar which the girls have been getting 
ready for you, and then all you have to do is to gather 
the edges together and press them tightly so that no wa- 
ter can get inside. Now we will tie up the cloth, not 
too close to the ball, because there must be a little room 
left for it to swell in, nor too loosely, because that would 
let it fall out of shape; but just — so I ^' 

" I quite long for dinner-time to come," said Grace. 
^^ Not so much because I want to taste it myself as to see 
how the rest like it, especially mamma and papa.'' 

" You may make your mind perfectly easy about that, 
Grace; I hnow it will be good." 

"Are apple dumplings made in the same way?'' 
"Yes; and so are cherry and blackberry and huckle- 
berry, and any thing else you like to use. Many people 
make all these things into what they call ' bolsters,' or 
rollers, but I dont think they are nearly as nice as when 
the fruit is all kept together in the middle." 

"What a queer name for anything to eat — bolsters! " 

" I don't think it's an agreeable one, so I never call 

them so. Sometimes they are called 'valise puddings,' 

which ign't so bad, but that there isn't anything in the 



168 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

valises used now-a-days (which are shaped iike little 
trunks,) to remind you of them." 

" What kind of sauce must we have for this? " 
"At home we always had them served in this way: a 
plate of butter was set by the one who served the dump- 
lings, and a piece of it was placed directly in the mid- 
dle of each helping; this was covered with a great 
spoonful of white sugar and the eater distributed them 
for himself, so we'll have it done in that way to-day, to 
remind your mother of old times." 

" But I suppose some people eat sauce with it, don't 
they?" inquired Eose. 

"Yes; generally hard sauce, though liquid sauce is 
equally admissible." 

"How do you make hard sauce, Aunt Jane?" 
" "Why, did I never tell you? Then you must have the 
recipe for it straightway." 

No. 156— Hard Sauce. 

Beat to a cream one cup butter, to which add three 
cups powdered sugar. Beat long and hard, then place 
upon a small dish and smooth into shape with a knife- 
blade dipped in cold water. It is made richer by having 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 169 

half a cup of wine, or the juice of a lemon, or both, 
beaten up with it When smooth, grate nutmeg thickly 
on the top. 

" Here is another extremely nice one:" 

No. 157 — Fruit Pudding Sauce. 

Half a cup of butter, two and a half cups sugar, one 
cup boiling water, one dessert spoonful corn starch wet 
with a little cold milk, one glass of wine, the juice and 
half the peel of a lemon. Cream the butter and sugar 
together; pour the corn starch into the boiling water and 
stir until well thickened; beat all together five minutes 
in a bowl off the fire, heat then until nearly boiling, add 
the wine and serve. 

No. 158 — French Sauce. 

Beat half a pound butter to a cream, stir in half a 
pound brown sugar, add the beaten yolk of an egg and 
one gill of wine, place it over the fire and keep stirring 
till it simmers. Grate nutmeg over it before it is sent to 
table. 

" That is an excellent sauce for apple dumplings," ob- 
served Aunt Jane, ''but I can tell you of one much 



170 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

simpler ^ — plain molasses. I think the combination is 
excellent.^' 

" Isn't it for other dumplings too, Mrs. King? " inquired 
Edith. 

" No ; with any other fruit the molasses seems to de- 
stroy the delicacy of the flavor; but it just suits the 
apple." 

" I should like to make some little apple dumplings," 
said Rose, " such as the farmer's wife gave King George 
the Third, and he couldn't possibly imagine how the ap- 
ple got in there." 

"He wasn't the wisest of men, was he?" said Aunt 
Jane. " But all you have to do is to roll out your paste 
and cut little squares of it just large enough to cover an 
apple, then peel and core your apple, put a little sugar in 
the hole in the center, wrap it tightly in the paste and 
drop it into boiling water. It doesn't need any cloth, be- 
cause it keeps its shape well enough without, that is, if 
the paste is not too rich. Very particular people tie each 
one up in a separate square of cloth; but for a family of 
the size of ours, when some at least will want a second 
dumpling or part of one, it would be a great labor. I 
think I should let them take their chance in a good 
large pot with a plate in the bottom of it." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 171 

" Have you come to the end of your dumpling recipes, 
Aunt Jane?" 

'' By no means, but we have about come to the end of 
our time, for Rhoda will want us to get out of the way so 
that she can cook the dinner. So we'll just get the cup- 
cakes into the oven, and leave the rest of our recipes un- 
til another time." 



172 SIX LITTLE COOKS 



TWELFTH DAY. 

"Mamma, did you know that Friday was Jessie's birth- 
day? " asked Grace, pursuing her mother into her bed- 
room and shutting the door cautiously. " It is, and Aunt 
Carroll says she will have a little party for her if we will 
go over and make the things; and won't you please in- 
vite Jessie here to spend Thursday with Mabel and Amy, 
so that we can have some surprises?" 

" Don't you think Jessie will enjoy it more if she has 
the pleasure of anticipation too?" inquired Mrs. Yernon. 

" Oh, she Imows she is going to have company, but 
then we'd like to have just a few things that none of them 
know anything about; and if she is at home she'll want 
to be all the time in the kitchen, and she'll be in the way, 
and then the other girls will come over to see her, and so, 
you see " 

" And so, I see, you've settled it all among yourselves 
beforehand. Yery well; I shall make no objection to any 
thing your aunts decide upon. I suppose Aunt Jane will 
superintend, as usual." 



AtJj^T JANETS COOKING CLASS. 173 

"We haven't asked ]ier, but I know she will," said 
Grace, and ran off to make sure of it. 

Any one who knows Aunt Jane can easily guess the 
answer. Soon after breakfast on Thursday morning she 
met the three older girls at Mrs. Carroll's. 

" Mamma is just going to have a simple lunch to-day 
and a late dinner," said Eose, " so that nothing can possi- 
bly interfere with us, and we'll have the whole day to our- 
selves." 

" Tour mother and I have had some consultation about 
our refreshments and other matters," said Mrs. King. 
" At first we were going to have the good old-fashioned 
hours of four to eight, but there must be a birthday cake, 
and that wouldn't be any thing without candles, and the 
candles won't show by daylight; so, all things considered, 
as the weather is very liot and the visitors wouldn't want 
to come out early in the afternoon, the invitations have 
been made from five to nine.'' 

" The three little ones are going round giving them 
this morning," said Eose. 

" So we will have a regular tea (only there won't be 
any tea,) at half-past six; and about a quarter before nine 
we'll liave the cake, all lighted up, and some lemonade." 



174 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

The girls approved of this, and Aunt Jane se^t them at 
work without delay. " We'll get our fruit ready first of 
all/' said she. " It is very tedious to stop after one has 
begun cooking to stone raisins or wash currants.'' 

Grace and Edith took the dish of raisins between them, 
with a small case-knife apiece, a plate on which to put 
the seeded fruit, a bowl of water to dip their sticky fingers 
in, and a towel to wipe them on; also a piece of brown 
paper on which to scrape off the seeds. 

'' It is never any loss of time," said Mrs. King, " to 
make everything as convenient as possible before you be- 
gin. Make-shifts seem to save a minute or two at first, 
but they don't in the end." 

Eose undertook to prepare the dried currants. ^' Oh, 
what dirty things!" she exclaimed. "Are these what 
they put in cake? " 

" Just these and nothing else," answered Aunt Jane. 
" But after they have passed through your hands they 
will be quite another thing. Shake them out over this 
large dish, and pick out the most obvious intruders — 
stones, leaves, sticks, and so forth." 

After this the currants were poured into a large pan of 
water, rinsed round, and allowed to settle. This was 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 175 

repeated four times, the water looking less and less black 
after each operation. After the fifth water was poured 
off, Mrs. King said they were ready to dry. 

^' Now take this large crash towel and rub them in it, 
a few at a time," said she. 

It was surprising to see how much dirt and how many 
scraps of foreign matter the currants had contrived to re- 
tain in spite of all their duckings and sousings; but 
towels were plenty and Eose was almost nervously neat, 
and she did not let them go until they were what she 
called "really, truly, eataily clean." 

'' This fruit is all for the birthday cake," said Aunt 
Jane, as she showed her pupils how to shred up citron. 
" What we will have on the tea-table will be quite plain." 

"What else are we going to have for tea?" asked 
Grace. 

"First and foremost, cold boiled ham and cold tongue; 
those are the solids; then biscuit, jam puffs, chocolate, 
and, if you choose to make them, lemon jelly and soft 
custard." 

" Of course we will ! '' 

" Berries are so common everywhere, that I think the 
little girls would like the jelly better. We can have a 
12 



176 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

handsome dish of oranges for the center of the table, so 
as not to be quite without fruit. Then of course, there 
must be several kinds of cake for the tea-table. We might 
have small sponge-cakes, crisp cookies, cocoanut drops 
and jumbles. How would you like to try some mac- 
aroons ?'' 

" Splendid! We should like it ever so much! But we 
haven't any recipes for them." 

" IVe brought over my book on purpose, and you may 
write them down before we begin." 

No. 159 — Crisp Cookies. 

One pound sugar, one of flour, one half-pound butter, 
half a nutmeg, or any other spice, five eggs. 

No. 160 — Macaroons. 

The whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth, half a 
pound of powdered sugar, half a pound desiccated cocoa- 
nut, half a pint rolled and sifted crackers, one teaspoonful 
extract of bitter almond; drop them on buttered paper 
in a dripping-pan, and bake light brown. 

No. 161 — Small Sponoe Cakes. 
One teacup powdered sugar, one of flour, three eggs, 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 177 

half a teaspoonful cream tartar, a quarter of a teaspoonful 
soda. 

" How can we ever measure a quarter of a teaspoonful. 
Aunt Jane?" 

" Measure your lialf one of cream tartar and divide it 
into two little piles; then make a pile of soda of the size 
of one of these. That isn't hard to do." 

"And what will be the name of the birthday cake. 
Aunt Jane?' 

"What I made for Amy's last birth-day was Dover 
cake, and I don't think there's, anything nicer for the pur- 
pose. You have it in your receipt-books, number 34. 
To that we add a pound of raisins, a pound of currants, a 
quarter of a pound of citron, a glass of brandy and some 
spice, and that makes a fruit-cake of it. This recipe 
makes a very large loaf, which of course must be iced, so 
it will present quite an imposing appearance. Usually 
we bake it in two loaves, but to-day it must go into a 
four quart tin pan." 

Mrs. King didn't have to tell the girls a word about 
putting the cake together that day, they had done it so 
often before. She watched them with great pleasure as 
one set about beating the whites of eggs, another the 



178 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

yolksj and the third creamed the butter and afterwards 
beat up the sugar with it, then added the yolks of eggs, 
afterward the milk and soda, and finally the whites of 
eggs and flour alternately, a little of each at a time. The 
soda she directed them to mix in a very little vinegar, as 
that has a peculiar effect in producing lightness, especial- 
ly in certain kinds of rich cake. There was only one 
thing Aunt Jane had to remind them of, and that was 
that they must save out some of the flour to rub the fruit 
in. If she hadn't done that, I do believe they would have 
put it all in, and then had to add more and so make the 
cake plainer, for it would never have done to put in the 
fruit without dredging. 

When it had been beaten enough to satisfy even Aunt 
Jane's requiring eye, the three cooks taking it in turn, 
the light batter was poured into the tin pan, which had 
been lined with nice white paper and well buttered. 

" We mus'nt make it a bit more than half fall," said 
Aunt Jane, " for this is an aspiring cake, and he means 
to rise and rise till he fills the whole pan and rounds up 
in the middle in a little hill, l^ow the fire must be kept 
very even, and we shan't need to look at the cake for a 
loDg time, so as to give it a chance to get well set. Then 
it may want turning." 



ATTNT jane's COOKING CLASS. 179 

" I have a bright idea, girls," said Aimt Jane when the 
oven door had been closed upon the cake from which so 
much was expected. " Instead of soft custard, suppose 
we make whipped cream for to-morrow, as this is a great 
occasion.'' 

" Oh, that would be perfectly delicious," cried Eose. 
"Everybody likes whipped cream, and it will look so 
much more like a party than custard, such as we have 
every few days. Is there any particular recipe for it. 
Aunt Jane?" 

"Yes, indeed; I'll give it to you now, though we can't 
make the cream till to-morrow, because it must be fresh." 

No. 162 — Whipped Cream. 

One pint cream, one small cup fine sugar, one gill wine. 
Mix all together in a large bowl and beat hard with a 
whisk, or what is still better, churn with a whip-churn. 
As the froth rises, take it carefully ofi" with a spoon, and 
place in the dish in which it is to be served. 

" That will look beautiful with the jelly," said Edith. 
" What kind shall we make to go with it? " 

"We haven't tried orange jelly yet; and as there is to 
be wine in the cream, we don't care for wine jelly to eai 



180 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

with it. I think orange will suit our young frienxis as well 
as anything.'' 

No. 163 — Orange Jelly. 

Juice of two oranges and grated rind of one, one lem- 
on, juice and peel, one package Cox's gelatine, soaked in 
a very little water for an hour, one pint boiling water, 
one cup and a half sugar, half a cup of wine, a good pinch 
of cinnamon. 

" The gelatine has been soaking more than an hour," 
said Aunt Jane; " and we may as well begin on it now as 
any time. Edith, you may make the jelly, Eose the 
jumbles, and Grace the macaroons. While the jelly is 
under way, Edith will have time to make the cocoanut 
drops. All these will keep nicely if they are shut up 
tight. To-morrow we will make the little sponge-cakes, 
soda biscuits, puffs, chocolate and whip." 

" I thought you said we would have crisp cookies, Aunt 
Jane." 

" Did I? I think we shall have quite enough without 
them. We'll leave them until some other time. They 
are exceedingly nice, are made without any soda, and will 
keep a long time. Now get to work, all of you." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 181 

After Edith had grated the peel of the oranges and 
lemons, and squeezed out the juice very thoroughly, she 
threw in the cinnamon, and then poured on them a pint 
of boiling water. The whole was then closely covered, 
that the flavor might be completely diffused. Then, as 
it was to remain so for half an hour, Edith left it and 
made the cocoanut drops; after which the jelly- water 
was strained and the sugar stirred in. It was then put 
over the fire until it boiled, when the soaked gelatine was 
stirred in, and as soon as this was dissolved, the whole 
was poured into a flannel bag and run into moulds. 

The cocoanut drops, being made after the following sim- 
ple recipe, did not take a very long time. 

No. 164 — Cocoanut Wafers. 

Half a pint powdered sugar, the same of desiccated co- 
coanut, three even tablespoonfuls of flour, half a teaspoon- 
ful vanilla, two eggs. Beat the eggs and add successively 
the sugar, vanilla, flour and cocoanut. Bake on buttered 
paper. 

When the birth-day cake came out, after being in- 
spected by many admiring eyes, it was set away in the 
pan to cool. " We must ice it over the top," said Aunt 



182 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

Jane, " so as to keep this beautiful rounded side upper- 
most. A loaf that is to be cut in the pantry and not ap- 
pear on the table except in slices, should be iced on the 
bottom, and then it is handsome all ronnd. If you have 
ever noticed little pound cakes or anything of that sort, 
they are always iced in that way, and so look as if they 
had two tops, one white and one brown." 

Wliat do you suppose Grace and Annt Jane found when 
they went home to tea that evening? That those rogues 
of little girls had persuaded their mother to let them go 
into the kitchen and make things all by themselves! 
Rhoda was out, and they had full liberty to do as they 
pleased, under the single condition of leaving everything 
in good order after them. There was a good fire, which 
one of the other servants attended to, and they had fol- 
lowed the devices of their own minds in what they did, 
each one selecting some easy-looking dish that did not 
require expensive materials. Mabel took a pint of milk 
and two eggs, which she beat up together with a great 
deal of fine sugar and vanilla, and made very good little 
custards of it, only rather strong and sweet. She also 
forgot to grate nutmeg over the top, which was not an 
important omission, however. Jessie made some No. 63 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 183 

cup-cake, using the after-dinner coffee-cups for it, so as to 
make a small quantity, and two eggs instead of four. 
She found some diflSculty in estimating half the quantity 
named of soda and cream tartar, but after much solemn 
consultation among the three, it was measured out, and 
the cake proved excellent, though a little broken on the 
under side, owing to the difficulty of getting it out, the 
tins not having been buttered. Amy had moused about 
till she found an old receipt-book of her aunt's, in which 
there were directions for " sugar drops," a confection not 
named in her mother's list; so she copied it into her book 
and made half the quantity, for fear they should not turn 
out well. 

No. 165 — Sugar Deops. 

Beat the whites and yolks of four eggs separately to a 
light foam; dilute the yolks with two teaspoonfuls of 
water, add the whites and beat for some time together; 
then add by degrees a pound of fine powdered sugar, and 
afterward a quarter of a pound of flour, beating con- 
stantly. Flavor with extract of lemon or orange juice. 
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on buttered paper, ice 
them over with powdered sugar, and bake about ten 
minutes. 



184 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

These were, if anything, the crowning success of the 
day. The only trouble was that the children found them 
so good they had hard work to keep any to show what 
they had been about; but finally Amy seized what re- 
mained and resolutely shut them up in the closet, " out 
of the way of temptation," as she said, which gave the 
impression that the sugar drops were in some mysterious 
way tempted to be eaten. 

The birth-day itself was a busy one at Aunt Carroll's. 
First of all, there was the great cake to be iced. They 
decided on a plain icing (No. 57), flavored with lemon, 
and Mrs. King told them how it must be made. 

" You must beat the whites of eggs only till they are a 
little frothy before you begin to add the sugar," said she. 
" Beating them stiff only increases the labor, and makes 
the icing slow in drying and sticky when done. Shake 
in the sugar slowly with your left hand while you beat 
with the right. "When you .have cranberry sauce, it 
makes a very pretty variety to color a part of the icing 
with the jelly when you are icing small cakes. As I told 
you, they are always iced on the bottom, and to keep 
them firm while the icing is hardening, you can lay thin 
strips of wood across the sieve just far enough apart to 



AUNT jane's COOKINa CLASS. 185 

rest the edges of the cake on and support it. A round 
loaf of cake will often fit into the top of a vegetable dish." 

As soon as the cake was thickly iced, and before it was 
diy, Aunt Jane said she would show the girls what she 
once saw done by a professional cook. She had procured 
from the confectioner's some pink frosting-sugar, and had 
made a little horn of white paper with an opening at the 
small end about as large as the head of a pin. Then she 
traced very lightly with a pin-point on the icing a pretty 
border in a sort of embroidery pattern, and in the center 
the word " Jessie," with the date of the anniversary un- 
derneath it. 

" Now, Rose," said she, " take this in your hand and go 
slowly over all the pattern I have traced on the top of 
the cake. The pink sugar will run out through the little 
hole in the end of the horn, and as the icing dries it will 
close in round it and keep it in place, even after it is cut. 
Not so fast! Tour lines will be too thin; and not too 
slowly or you will make a heap instead of a fine line. 
There; now that your hand moves steadily it looks very 
pretty." 

" It is too bad to spoil this handsome cake by sticking 
candles into it," said Editli. 



186 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

" The same thing occurred to me," answered Mrs. King ; 
" and besides, the wax is almost sure to run down on the 
icing, and then that has to be thrown away. I have seen 
one pretty good contrivance to prevent this. Each candle 
was set in a little flat candlestick, from the bottom of 
which projected downwards a shai'p piece of tin which 
held it in the cake. That did very well, but I found 
something yesterday at a toy shop that I like still better." 

Then she showed them ten little tall candlesticks which 
were to stand on the table immediately round the cake, 
and could be easily removed when the candles were 
burned down. The children still thought there ought to 
be one in the middle of the cake " to grow on," but at 
last decided to be contented without it. 

After this chief ornament was finished, the girls turned 
their attention to the rest of the entertainment. There 
was plenty of icing left for the little sponge-cakes, which 
looked extremely pretty in the cake basket mixed with 
macaroons and cocoanut drops. The chocolate, being for 
young people, was diluted with double the quantity of 
milk given in ordinary recipes, and was quite as accepta- 
ble; the whipped cream and orange jelly made a very 
agreeable contrast in color, being served together in the 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 187 

same saucer; and as for the biscuit, made by Rose, and 
Grace's puiis, filled with different kinds of jelly, all that 
needs to be said of them is that they were worthy of Aunt 
Jane's Cooking Class. 



188 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 



THIETEENTH DAT. 

"I think of inviting some friends to lunch to-morrow, 
Jane," said Mrs. Yernon to her sister soon after the birth- 
day party. " May we depend on you and the girls again ? '' 

" With all my heart," answered Mrs. King. " Just 
tell us what you would like to have, and we'll do our 
best to please you, ma'am." 

" I think you might better tell me what you would 
like to make," said Mrs. Yernon. " I'm very humble. 
I'd put up with anything — that was good." 

" We musn't have any of the dishes we made for Aunt 
Carroll's lunch, because we want to try some novelties. 
Broiled chickens are good, but the girls are hardly old 
enough to undertake those, and I want that the cooking 
should be hona fide their own. What do you say to a 
dish of sweetbreads, a nice salad, and potato croquettes?" 

" I can't imagine anything better; but do you know 
what you are undertaking?" 

"Oh, yes, perfectly; you don't know how skillful the 
little things have become, now that they have their heart 



AUNT jane's cooking GLASS. 189 

in tlie matter. All I do is to look at them; they would 
feel quite hurt if I touched anything." 

" I am delighted to hear it. I had no idea that the 
fancy would hold out so long. What do you think would 
be nice in the way of sweets?" 

" Peaches are tolerably plenty now, and I should like 
to show the girls some ways of using them. An open pie 
in puff paste would be very handsome." 

"Elegant! Anything else?" 

" A chocolate meringue makes a good variety, and we 
might have coffee instead of chocolate, so as not to have 
too much of the same thing, and some light cake, not very 
rich. Rolls are the best thing in the way of bread, but 
as they are out of our line, we will make some biscuit 
instead. And you must not forget that the children 
have the promise of setting the table, so we must do what 
we can to-day to give them more time." 

"Arrange everything just as you please," said Mrs. 
Vernon ; "I'm only too thankful to have it oft' my hands." 

Then Mrs. King brought her little army together and 
explained the bill of fare to them. They found the pros- 
pect of getting up such a handsome lunch very exciting, 
and wanted to begin at once. 



190 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

** We must ask Rlioda to have plenty of maslipd potato 
ready for the croquettes," said Mrs. King, " and, I think, 
the peach pie and some jelly cake might be made to-day; 
I don't see what more we can do. Grace, you succeed 
very well with pastry; you may go directly into the cellar 
and make your handsomest puff -paste, and we'll prepare 
the fruit for you in the mean time." 

Mabel then began to peel the peaches, while Mrs. King 
showed Amy how to make a new kind of cake for jelly. 

No. 166— Martha's Cake. 

Three eggs, one cup of sugar, one of flour, a piece of 
butter the size of an egg, one teaspoonful cream tartar, 
half a teaspoonful soda, dissolved in a tablespoonful milk. 

"This is a very simple cake," said her mother, "and 
we may think when we come to look at it to-morrow that 
it is too plain for company; if so, we can make some of 
Jenny's nice sponge cake, from our No. 6 receipt. Here 
is another that you may write down." 

No. 167— Puff Cake. 
Two cups sugar, two and a half of flour, half a cup of 
butter, one of milk, three eggs, a teaspoonful cream tartar 
and half a teaspoonful soda. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 191 

While Amy put the cake together, Mrs. King and 
Mabel pared, stoned and cut up the peaches. Then Mabel 
weighed them, and found that there were two pounds. 
These her aunt told her to put over the fire in a sauce- 
pan with one pound of white sugar and a cupful of water. 
"We don't stew peaches for ordinary pies," said she, 
" but as I want this one to look handsome as well as taste 
nice, I am going to take extra pains with it." 

When about half cooked the peaches were taken off the 
fire and set away for awhile, and by the time Grace's 
paste was ready to roll out, they were cool enough to use. 
When a couple of pie-plates had been lined with paste, 
the stewed peaches were poured into them until even 
with the top; across this strips of paste were laid in dia- 
mond-shaped lattice-work, each strip being twisted like a 
strand of worsted cord before it was placed over the com- 
pote; then a margin of paste just the size of that of the 
pie-dish was laid on, the under surface being first wet 
with cold water. 

"Why did you stew these first. Aunt Jane?" asked 
Grace. 

" For several reasons. Unless the peaches had been 

piled up high in the middle, which would have made the 
13 



192 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

surface uneven, they would have shrunken so much as to 
have made the top fall in; then they would have taken 
so much longer to cook than the paste, that it would have 
become quite brown by the time they were done. ( By the 
way, I'll tell you how to make a beautiful apple-pie when 
we get through with this.) Now you will see that when 
the pie is cold there will be a smooth jellied surface, and 
you musn't forget to have some powdered sugar ready to 
sift over it the instant it comes out of the oven.'^ 
" Now tell me about the apple-pie, please." 

No. 167 — Apple Pie. 

Pare, core and slice very fine, ripe, tart apples; place a 
layer in the bottom of a pie-dish, then a layer of sugar, 
over which sprinkle the smallest pinch of ground cloves; 
repeat this process until the dish is full, pour in a table- 
spoonful of water, cover with puff-paste not rolled out 
very thin, and bake. This is far more healthful than 
pies baked with an under-crust, though the same recipe 
will answer for that kind also. 

The next morning Pose came in saying that her mamma 
would like to have her wait on the table with the other 
girls, if agreeable to Aunt Nelly, and offering her services 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 193 

as cook. At the same time Mabel was invited to spend 
the morning with Jessie, with the promise that she should 
come home when the little waiters ate their lunch. 

She would rather have stayed and helped at home, but 
having a strong suspicion that she would be somewhat 
in the way, she went off very pleasantly, and the cooking 
party set to work in good earnest. 

" Now for our new recipe," said Aunt Jane. 

No. 169 — Stewed Sweetbreads. 

Lay the sweetbreads in milkwarm water for an hour, 
having first carefully trimmed off all bits of skin and 
fat. Then throw into boiling water and boil hard ten 
minutes, after which cool them off in ice-water until they 
become white and firm. Then stew until tender in a 
very little water, add for each one a heaping teaspoonful 
of butter, a little chopped parsley with pepper and salt, 
and a little cream, together with the yolk of a hard boiled 
egg rubbed to a powder. Let them simmer in this gravy 
for five minutes; then send to table in a covered dish. 

" The sweetbreads will require three-quarters of an 
hour to stew," said Aunt Jane, " so we will begin on them 



194 SIXLITTLECOOKS. 

about eleven o'clock, as our luncli is to be aton^. They 
are something you can't hurry. JSText come our two 
ways of cooking potatoes." 

No. 170 — Potato Croquettes. 

To every cupful of mashed potato allow a tablespoon- 
ful of melted butter, and beat to a cream, seasoning 
with pepper and salt. Beat up two or three eggs, accord- 
ing to the quantity used, and add this to the potato, with 
some minced parsley. EoU into oval balls, dip first in 
beaten egg^ then in bread crumbs, and fry in hot lard. 

No. 171 — Potato Eibbon. 

Choose the largest and soundest potatoes you can get 
for this dish; pare them and lay in ice- water for an hour. 
Then pare off a small continuous strip, round and round, 
with a small, sharp knife, or an instrument which comes 
the purpose. Handle with care and fry a few at a time, 
in deep lard; then arrange neatly upon a hot flat dish. 

" Oh, what a funny-looking thing that must be! " cried 
Eose. "Can we do it to-day?" 

" Pm afraid not. The potatoes are rather new yet for 
this purpose, and we should only waste our time, but in 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 195 

the winter it would be quite a curious experiment to see 
how well you could do it. And in the mean time, per- 
haps your mother will get a parer for you." 

" Shan't we need something else beside peach pie for 
dessert, Aunt Jane?" said Grace. 

" I was thinking of a chocolate meringue," replied her 
aunt/ 'such as you have a receipt for, No. 111. I think 
you might set about that immediately, and then it will 
have time to get cold. "When it is done, you may make 
up the potato croquettes, and get ready the egg and bread- 
crumbs to fry them in. They won't suffer by standing 
two or three hours. Amy, you may take this delicate 
young cabbage that I found in market yesterday, and 
slice it with the cutter into fine shreds; then make this 
dressing for it." 

No. 172 — CoLDSLAw Dressing. 

Beat two eggs in a bowl that fits in the top of a tea- 
kettle; add a gill of vinegar and water mixed, an ounce 
of butter, an even teaspoonful of salt and one of sugar; 
place the bowl over boiling water and when hot stir until 
it is thicker than boiled custard; then strain, and leave it 
until perfectly cold before pouring over the coldslaw. 



196 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

When tlie dish is served, sprinkle a little blacl^ pepper 
over the top. 

" Rose, you may make some baking-powder biscuit for 
us, to be ready fully half an hour before lunch — we don't 
want them hot. And now I'm going to try an entirely 
new receipt, one that I cut from a newspaper, telling how 
to make such coffee as they have at the ' Vienna Bakery.' 
I don't know anything about it, but I think from its 
looks it must be good, and it will be a novelty to our 
friends, I am sure," 

No. 173 — ^Vienna Bakery Coffee. 

Make coffee in the ordinary way; then to one pint of 
cream heated over boiling water allow the white of an egg 
beaten to a froth; add three tablespoonfuls of cold milk 
to the egg and mix it well, then remove the cream, when 
hot, from the fire, and add the egg^ stirring briskly for a 
few moments. Serve the coffee in the usual manner, ad- 
ding this mixture instead of cold cream. 

When all had been accomplished that the girls had 
started on, they proceeded to set the lunch table, under 
Aunt Jane's direction. She showed them how necessary 
to symmetry it was to have every place, or " cover," as it 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 197 

is called, abroad, set exactly opposite another, and how 
the double supply of knives, forks and spoons must be 
made into a square around each napkin. A dish of fruit 
stood in the center of the table, with a lovely arrange- 
ment of flowers on each side of it, and some of the dishes 
and various relishes were also set on, but the most im- 
portant of the instructions related to the manner of serv- 
ing. 

" There musn't be any rattling and clattering of spoons 
and dishes when you are changing plates. Each plate 
that is to be used for pie must have a place by itself with 
a saucer on it for the meringue; then when you have re- 
moved the first set of plates, which must be done as quiet- 
ly as possible, you must take one plate and saucer in each 
hand and set them before two guests ; then go back to the 
table for two more. Tou will not need extra knives and 
forks and spoons, because all these are put on at fij^st by 
each plate. Then for the fruit you must lay a doyley on 
each fruit plate, set the finger bowl on it, and carry them 
round in the same way. As it is probable that only forks 
will be used for the pie, the knives will remain on the 
table ready for the fruit; but you must look at each place, 
and if you see one without a knife, lay one down quietly 
at the right hand when you put on the finger glass." 



198 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

" Oughtn't the salad to be served as a separate course, 
^unt Jane? " asked Grace. 

" For formal company it ought; but these are all friends 
who won't expect so much ceremony, and I think three 
sets of plates are enough for you little girls to handle. 
You must all move about as quietly as possible, and be 
especially careful not to run against each other while you 
are going around the room. When your mother is pour- 
ing the coffee, wait until she has two cups ready, then take 
one in each hand. Remove the plates in the same way, 
as soon as you see any two that are entirely done with. 
Have your eyes wide open to see when any one of the 
guests is in want of bread, or butter, or any other thing 
that ought to be handed, but be careful not to offer the 
same thing again to a person who has refused it once.'^ 

" How can we tell. Aunt Jane? " said Grace, 

'• You yourself may take entire charge of the bread and 
biscuit, and Amy of the butter and pickles; then you'll 
be able to remember. It is a great plague toliave to say, 
^No, I thank you,' over a dozen times while one is 
trying to talk to one's neighbor. Of course you don't 
need to be told that when you offer any thing which you 
keep in your own hand, it should be done at the left hand 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 199 

of the guest; when you set doAvn any thing, like a cup or 
plate, it must always be done from the right hand." 

" I see why you should pass a thing at the left side, 
Aunt Jane," said Rose, " but I don't see why you shouldn't 
always do it from the same side." 

" Because when you are setting down anything before 
a person seated at the table, it is apt to bring your elbow 
inconveniently near her, unless you are constantly on the 
watch to prevent it, and it is much simpler to set things 
down always from the other side. You'll find it so as 
soon as you begin to do it." 

Many more were the particulars into which this good 
aunt entered with her attentive and zealous little pupils, 
but we have not time to detail them now. We must go 
back to the kitchen, where the final cooking was still to 
be done. 

" Now the sweet-breads are ready for their last immer- 
sion, Grace. Just follow the directions and you can't 
miss doing them well. The croquettes will go over in 
about fifteen minutes, and the lard must be ' hissing hot ' 
to be ready for them. Amy, you may take a large knife 
and fork and cut up the coldslaw a little, before you pour 
over the dressing. It is very unmanageable when it is in 



200 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

such long strips. Mix the dressing with it thoroughly 
in that common dish, before you lay it on the one it is to 
come to table in ; we will use a flat dish and put a border 
of sliced tomatoes round the edge. Don't forget the 
pepper over the top. Eose, you will want a flat dish for 
your croquettes, not a covered one. Lay one row down 
first in neat order, then put another on it with one or two 
fewer croquettes; and so on, until there is only room for 
one at the top. It is just as easy to make things look 
pretty and attractive as commonplace." 

The Yienna coffee was the only thing about which Aunt 
Jane had not felt perfect confidence; but she followed the 
directions, or rather Amy did so under her supervision, 
and the result was very gratifying. The amateur waiters 
carried out their instructions in a way that showed what 
close attention they had paid to them, and at the close of 
the repast, being joined by Mabel and Jessie, who had 
been prowling about for some time awaiting the auspi- 
cious moment, they all sat down together and ate their 
luncheon with capital appetites. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 201 



FOUETEENTH DAT. 

" Don't you think it's about time for us to cook another 
breakfast. Aunt Jane?" asked Grace. '' We want to have 
some different things this time; none of the same except 
the coffee." 

" I'm willing," answered her aunt. " We'll do it to- 
morrow if you like; and in the mean time I must give 
you some breakfast recipes. Here is one of the oldest, 
easiest and most respectable." 

No. 174 — Corned Beef Hash. 

Take tender boiled corned beef, entirely free from fat or 
gristle, chop it fine, and mix with it chopped boiled pota- 
toes in the proportion of one cup of beef to three of pota- 
toes. Add enough salt to season the potatoes, pepper to 
your taste, mix very thoroughly together and let it stand 
over night. Half an hour before the time to serve, place 
it on the fire in an iron frying pan, with one tablespoon- 
ful of cold water and a teaspoonful of butter to each cup of 



202 SIX LITTLE OOOKS. 

the mixture. Let this cook slowly on the back of the 
stove, stirring frequently; if it becomes too dry, add boil- 
ing water. Taste it, and if not sufficiently seasoned, 
throw in more pepper and salt, but very cautiously. 
Serve very hot. 

" Why, that receipt's long enough for a mince pie, Aunt 
Jane," said Grace. 

"You'll find that following it carefully makes all the 
difference between good hash and poor, uneatable stuff," 
answered her aunt. " When hash is tossed together in a 
hurry it isn't the same thing as this." 

No. 175 — Potatoes a la Maitre B^ Hotel. 

Cut cold boiled potatoes into irregular slices, not large, 
and heat in a saucepan with a little milk and butter, 
pepper, salt and some chopped parsley. Place it over a 
hot fire, stirring all the time until ready to serve. To 
make a French dish of this, stir in half the juice of a 
lemon or a teaspoonful of sharp vinegar. 

No. 176 — Potato Puff. 

Take two cupfuls cold mashed potato and stir into it 
two tablespoonfuls melted butter, beating to a light cream. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 203 

When this is done, add to it two eggs beaten very light 
and a teacupful cream or milk, with salt to taste. Beat 
again and bake in a quick oyen until browned. 

" We made the croquettes for lunch, you remember," 
said Aimt Jane, " and the puff is very hard on your little 
arms, for it is nothing without a great deal of beating; so 
we'll be contented this time with maitre d^hoteV^ 

" What does that mean, Aunty? " 

" A maitre d'hotel is the chief steward of a hotel or 
restaurant, or, in very elegant establishments, of a private 
family, and as he often combines a knowledge of cookery 
with his other accomplishments, it was natural to name a 
dish after him. In case you should ever want to cook a 
winter breakfast, I'll tell you a way to do codfish.'^ 

No. 177 — TossED-up Codfish. 

Pick to pieces cold boiled codfish, or use the desiccated, 
which is already prepared. Prepare half a pint of thin 
drawn-butter, to which add half a pint sweet milk, three 
hard-boiled eggs cut up fine, a tablespoonful of butter, a 
few grains red pepper and some chopped parsley. Heat 
this till nearly boiling, then throw in the fish and boil up 
once, after which serve in a deep dish on buttered toast. 
It must be hot. 



204 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

No. 178 — Drawn Butter. 

Two teaspoonfuls flour and one tablespoon fiil butter, 
rubbed smoothly together, one teacupful water or milK 
added slowly. Boil one minute, stirring all the time to 
prevent its getting lumpy 

No. 179 — South- Side Omelette. 

One pint bread-crumbs, a large handful chopped pars- 
ley, a slice of onion minced fine, a teaspoonful of dried 
sweet marjoram. Beat two eggs very light, add a tea- 
cup of milk, pepper and salt to taste, and a heaping table- 
spoonful butter. Mix well together, and bake in a rather 
slow oven until lightly browned. It must be baked in a 
buttered dish, and turned out on a platter to serve. Do 
not send it to table until the family are sitting down, as 
it must be eaten hot. 

No. 180 — Milk Omelette, 

Take a tablespoonful of milk for each egg used, beat 
the eggs separately, very light, add butter and salt to 
taste, mix all together, turn into a buttered skillet and 
leave on until done, which will be in a very few 
minutes. 



AtJNT JANETS COOKING CLASS. 205 

iN'o. 181 — Omelette, aux fines herbes. 

Make according to the above recipe, but before turning 
into the frying-pan add two tablespoonfuls chopped 
parsley, green thyme and sweet majoram, mixed together 
with pepper and salt. Put a good lump of butter into 
the frying-pan, and when hot turn in the omelette and 
fiy to a light brown. To make a ham omelette of this: 
take half the amount of herbs and two tablespoonfuls 
finely chopped ham. 

No. 182 — Charlotte Muffins. 

One quart flour, three eggs, beaten separately and very 
stiff, three cups sour milk and a small teaspoonful soda, a 
little salt Beat hard, and bake in muffin rings on a 
griddle. 

No. 183 — EicE Muffins. 

One cup cold boiled rice, one pint flour, two eggs, one 
tablespoonful butter, one teaspoonful salt, one quart milk, 
or enough to make a thin batter. Beat hard and bake 
quickly. 

" Now I think," said Mrs. King, " that we ought to be 
able to get a good breakfast out of all these recipes. You 



206 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

may eacli choose one dish, and then I'll make out the rest 
of the bill of fare." 

^' I don't want codfish," said Mabel. 

" And I'm tired of corned beef hash," added Grace. 

" I didn't ask you what you didn't want, young ladies, 
but what you did! Are there any of these recipes you 
would like to try?" 

" Eice muffins," answered Grace. 

" Ham omelette," said Mabel. 

"I'd like those French potatoes," said Amy; "those 
that have parsley in them, and a great deal of white sauce." 

" All those things are nice," replied her mother, " and 
would be enough if there were none but ladies to breakfast 
on them, but I think your uncle will expect something 
more hearty. We must see what Rhoda has in the way 
of cold meat." 

Khoda had some roast mutton from the day before, and 
some gravy with it. " Ah, that is capital," exclaimed 
Aunt Jane. " Now we can make a dish fit for a king. 
You may write down 

No. 184 — Mutton Eechauffe. 

Take mutton gravy sufficient to cover the meat, which 
should be cut in small slices. If you have not enough 



ATJNT jane's cooking GLASS. 207 

gravy, add butter, hot water and any kind of catsup, to- 
mato being the nicest. Add pepper or a teaspoonful of 
Worcestershire sauce, a tablespoonful of currant jelly and 
a little salt. Heat this nearly to boiling, then put in the 
meat and let it remain just long enough to make it also 
boiling hot. Having been once cooked it is better not to 
cook it again unless it was under-done at first, in which 
case it may simmer a few minutes longer. Serve in a 
covered dish, that it may be eaten hot. 

" I should think we ought to know by this time that 
things are to be eaten hot," remarked Grace. 

" It is something that can't be too often impressed on 
the minds of cooks and waiters," answered Aunt Jane. 
'' How many good breakfasts are spoiled by being eaten 
half cold! To be sure, if servants are directed to ring 
the bell after the meal is on the table, and then the family 
is late in coming down, then cook can't be blamed if her 
dishes are spoiled. But I have one more recipe to give you 
for a very favorite dish of mine." 

No. 185 — Junkets. 

A cup and a half Indian meal, a handful of flour, half 
a teaspoonful soda, one teaspoonful salt, boiling water to 
U 



208 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

make a tMck batter. Tate care that every particle of the 
meal is scalded. The flour may be mixed smooth in a 
Kttle milk before being added. Fry on a griddle with a 
good deal of lard. 

"Shall we make them to-morrow?^' asked Grace. 

" Not if we have the rice muffins. And as Rhoda would 
have to bake them and send them in by the plateful, 
it wouldn't be as much your dish as if you baked them 
yourselves, as you can the muffins. However, we must 
have some kind of bread besides muffins, and I'U look 
and see if I can find anything new for you. Yes, here is 
something I think we haven't had.'' 

No. 186 — ^Belvidere Cakes, 

One quart flour, four eggs, one heaping tablespoonful of 
butter and one of lard, a teaspoonful salt. Mix the 
shortening and salt through the flour with the hand ; beat 
the eggs light, and add to them three quarters of a pint 
of cold milk; work this into the flour; if not enough to 
make a stiff dough, add a little more milk; work it well 
with the hands for ten minutes, roll into cakes about half 
an inch thick of the size of a breakfast plate, and bake in 
a quick oven. At table these cakes must be broken, not 
cut. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 209 

" Here is something else that we must try some time 
or other. They are good for breakfast or tea." 

No. 187 — YiRGiNiA Wafers. 

One pound flour, two tablespoonfuls butter, half a tea- 
spoonful salt. Mix with sweet milk to a stiff dough, 
working thoroughly. Roll out very thin, cut into round 
cakes and roll these out again as thin as you can handle 
them. Dredge a little flour over a baking pan and lay 
them carefully in. Bake in a very quick oven. When 
flrst made they should be as thin as paper. They swell 
a little in baking. 

" Is there anything we ought to get ready to-night. 
Aunt Jane?" asked Grace. 

" Nothing that is really necessary," replied her aunt, 
"but we may do something to shorten the work a little 
to-morrow. Amy, you may cut up the potatoes and 
parsley, Mabel may measure out the herbs for the ome- 
lette and chop the ham very fine, and Grace may cut up 
the mutton. Don't put in any fat, Gracie, or at least very 
little. A strong taste of it is sure to make the dish dis- 
agreeable." 

As there wag somewhat more to do on this occasion 



210 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

than on the previous one when they had prepared breakfast, 
the young cooks condescended to allow Rhoda to make 
the coffee. "We have graduated on that,'^ they re- 
marked. " As weVe shown once that we are able do it 
perfectly, we'd rather give our time to new things.'' 

Amy mixed up the belvidere cakes, which required the 
longest cooking of any of the dishes, while Grace col- 
lected the materials for the dish of mutton, and stirred 
up the rice muffins. Mabel gave her whole mind to the 
potatoes, and Amy, after her cakes had gone into the 
oven, prepared and cooked the omelette. 

'^ The griddle must have the whole front of the stove, 
and both muffins and omelette must be cooked the very 
last thing; the others can be kept hot. If I had thought 
of that I should have advised a baked omelette, but it's 
too late now. Well, Amy, we'll give you the hottest 
place we can at the back of the stove, and remember next 
time." 

But after all, the back place didn't turn out to be hot 
enough, so after a part of the muffins were baked, the 
griddle was set back and the omelette took its place where 
the fire was best. Then the rest of the muffins were left 
for Rhoda to bake and send in hot, and the cooks ex- 
changed the kitchen for the breakfast table. 



AUNT jane's COOKINa CLASS. 211 

" This mutton-stew rather beats Ehoda," observed Mr. 
Yemon as he took his second helping, " though I've noth- 
ing to say against Ehoda, in a general way. And I don't 
believe there's any cook out of France can get up a bet- 
ter dish of potatoes than that; eh, Mabel? I always said 
my daughters should each have a profession, and I don't 
know but that we shall have to make cooks of them." 

" Oh, papa," exclaimed Grace in high indignation, " if 
you're going to do that, I think we'd better not learn any 
more!" 

" Oh, ni throw in a little music and drawing and 
mathematics and such things, so that you can take your 
choice. But still, if the worst comes to the worst, you 
know " 

" I think ' the worst ' will probably be Ehoda's being 
sick some time or other," said Mrs. Yernon; "and then 
I'm sure we shall be very glad to have our little daughters 
take her place." 

After breakfast Mrs. Ejng beckoned Mabel aside and 
asked her if she wouldn't like to make something for 
dessert all by herself. Of course Mabel said she would, 
and her aunt gave her this recipe, saying it was an old 
one of her own mother's. 



212 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

No. 188 — Mother's Rice Pudding. -- 
One cup rice, ten cups milk; bake five hours. 

" Why, Aunt Jane, that is the shortest receipt I ever 
saw," said Mabel. 

" That's all there is of it,*' answered her aunt, " ex- 
cept that of course any cook would know that there 
should be a little salt added — ^perhaps a teaspoonful. You 
must wash the rice carefully to get out any specks of dirt 
in it, put it into a buttered baking-dish with the mi^k 
and salt, shut the oven door and forget all about it, if 
your fire is steady and slow. If the fire is a quick one, 
the damper has to De turned so as to shut off the heat. 
In this long, slow process of heating, the watery part of 
the milk evaporates, and the rich, creamy remainder be- 
comes so incorporated with the rice, that there is no need 
of butter or eggs. If you want to make it still better, 
throw in a cupful of raisins, not stoned, but just care- 
fully picked over, after the pudding has been in about 
half an hour. You may just stir them up in it; it will 
do no harm." 

"Any sauce with it. Aunt Jane? " 

" I don't care for sauce with it myself, but you may 



AUNT jane's cooking glass. 213 

make some hard sauce from your ITo. 156 recipe, in case 
the others should wish for it. It may be made as soon as 
you have set in the pudding, and then. left in the ice-box 
until dinner-time.'' 

" Won't you let me write down some more receipts, 
aunty?'' 

^* Oh yes, a dozen of them if you want them, and the 
other girls can copy them into their books afterwards. 
I'll give you some that you can use next winter,'* 

No. 189 — Apple Charlotte. 

Butter a deep pie-dish; place a layer of buttered bread 
(without crust), on the bottom, then a layer of thin slices 
of apple, pared and cored, grate a little lemon peel on 
them, and squeeze on a few drops of juice, then a layer of 
sugar — perhaps two tablespoonfuls — and one tablespoon- 
ful of water; then begin with another layer of bread and 
butter, and so on until the dish is full;' cover the top 
closely with the peel of the apples, to preserve the char- 
lotte from burning; this can be removed when the dish 
is served, and a little fine sugar sprinkled over the top. 
Will require from three-quarters of an hour to one hour 
in baking. 



214 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

!N"o. 190 — Suet PuDDma. ^ 

One cup chopped suet, one of seeded raisins, one of 
milk, three of flom-, butter the size of an egg^ grated rind 
of a lemon, one teaspoonfnl soda, spice or not, according 
to taste; boil in a form four hours. 

No. 191 — Foaming Sattcb. 

One cup butter beaten to a cream; add one of sugar 
and one wine-glass of wine; beat together thoroughly. 
Heat one and a half wine-glassfals of wine by setting it 
in hot water, and add it to the other, but do not stir after- 
ward. Let the whole stand in hot water until served. 

'No. 192 — Cottage Pudding. 

One cup sugar, half a cup milk, half a teaspoonful soda, 
one teaspoonful cream tartar, one and a half cups flour, 
one egg, or two if you prefer it; stir well together; bake 
twenty minutes. To be eaten with liquid sauce. 

No. 193 — Syracuse Sauce. 

One cup of butter and two of sugar rubbed together 
to a* light cream; yolks of two well-beaten eggs stirred in, 
then one cup hot (not boiling) wine. Whites of the 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 215 

eggs to be beaten to a froth and stirred in at the last mo- 
ment before serving. 

No. 194 — Rich Indian Pudding. 

Eight tablespoonfiils meal (heaping), six eggs, one 
quart milk, six oz. sugar, a quarter of a lb. butter, one 
glass wine. Scald the milk and wet every particle of 
the meal with it; then add the other ingredients. Bake 
slowly two hours. This requires no sauce. 

No. 195 — Plain Indian Pudding. 

Boil a quart of milk and pour it on a pint and a quarter 
of com meal; mix until every grain has been wet with 
the milk; boil for ten minutes, stirring occasionally; 
then add half a pint molasses, one teaspoonful ginger and 
the same of salt. Bake three-quarters of an hour in a 
slow oven. 

No. 196 — Suet Indian Pudding. 

One quarter of a pound suet, chopped fine, half a 
tumbler molasses, half a teaspoonful salt, one pint com 
meal, one pint boiling milk, half a pint cold milk, two 
teaspoons ginger and the same of cinnamon. Put together 
as in the above recipe, except that the meal is to be mixed 



216 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

with the cold milk before being scalded. Both t^ese pud- 
dings should be eaten with sauce. 

"There, Mabel, will those be enough for you?" 
" Oh, yes, plenty; I just thought I'd like to write them 
down while I had a good chance, because I can't write so 
fast as the rest can. Now I'll go to work and make my 
pudding." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 217 



LAST DAY. 

" Oh, Aunt Jane, must yoii really go next week? Can't 
you stay just a little longer? "WTiat shall we do without 
you?" 

" It's very hard for me to go, Gracie, but you must re- 
member that there are some people waiting at home who 
have had to do without me all summer. And then Amv 
must be back in time for the opening of school.'' 

" I shall miss Amy so much! " said Mabel plaintively. 

" Oh, you and Amy must write to each other and tell 
all your experiences, and next summer I hope your 
mamma will bring you both to see us." 

" Don't you think it would be a good thing,** said Mrs. 
Vernon, who came in at that moment, " to have one grand 
cooking frolic to close up with, and ask both the other 
families in? Considering what famous little cooks these 
girls have become, I think it would be quite exciting." 

"It's an excellent idea," replied Mrs. King. "We 
must look over our recipes and pick out the nicest, and 



218 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

try to show ourselves off to the best possible adyantage. 
I really think we can make a very creditable display." 

"What do yon say to the day after to-morrow?" asked 
Mrs. Yernon. " That will give ns time to get ready with- 
out crowding, and it won't carry the children's excite- 
ment abont it over into another week." 

"That will suit me as well as any time," replied Mrs. 
King, " and I want to collect all my ' cooking-class ' this 
afternoon to give them some additional recipes that they 
can try by themselves in the winter, and see how much 
they remember of what I have told them. I think they 
are pretty well grounded in the art." 

Accordingly the class was called together for a general 
examination and review. They thought it great fun, and 
ranged themselves in a straight line just as they did at 
school in spelling-class, so that they could " go up and 
down " when anybody missed. Then Aunt Jane began 
her catechism, passing on the questions to the next in 
order if they were not answered promptly. 

" "What is the first thing you must provide yourselves 
with when you are going to cook?" 

" Clean hands and nails and tidy hair.'* 

"Next?'* 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 219 

"Clean aprons.'' 

•^What must you have in the kitchen?" 

"A good fire and plenty of hot water." 

" What is the rule about dishes and other utensils? " 

" To use just as few as we possibly can, and manage so 
as to take the same one for several things when it won't 
spoil the taste of what we're making." 

" What ought you to do with flour? " 

"Sift it, always." 

" What must you do in breaking eggs?" 

" Break each one into a separate saucer before you put 
it with the rest." 

"And if you accidentally get one in that isn't fresh?" 

•" Throw away the whole dishful! " 

" How about separating the yolks and whites?" 

" Break them separate for all kinds of delicate cake, or 
for anything that is to be very light. But the recipes 
generally give you directions." 

"Is there anything where it is best not to separate 
them?" 

"Baked custards, and gingerbread, and such things." 

" Eather indefinite, but no matter. When must you 
use ' cooking butter ' ? " 



220 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

"Never!" 

"And skim-milk?" 

" Never when you can get any other." 

"In making cake, what do yon do first? '^ 

"Rub the butter to a cream, and then put the sugar 
with it, and then the yolks of the eggs (after you have 
beaten them.) " 

" How do you generally put in white of egg?" 

" Alternately with the flour, unless you have different 
directions.'' 

"And soda?" 

" The last thing, except flour, and then you must bake 
anything immediately and not let it stand." 

" How do you prepare the soda? " 

" Dissolve it in something — warm water, or sometimes, 
vinegar." 

" And cream tartar or baking-powder? * 

"Sift it with the flour." 

"What kind of things need salt?" 

" Almost everything except jelly or preserves." 

" When you pour milk out of a pitcher or bowl where 
it has been standing, what must you do? " 

" Be careful you do not pour out any dregs or black 
specks that may be at the bottom." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 221 

" When you are going to use gelatine or tapioca, what 
then? " 

"Think of it a long time beforehand, and put it to 
soak." 

"How do you strain jelly? " 

" Pour it into a bag and then don't touch it till it has 
all run through." 

" Suppose it won't run through?" 

" Then you set it, very carefully, in a hotter place." 

" How do you make pastry? " 

" In a cold place, and hardly touching it with your 
hands." 

" And when there is more than one layer of it? " 

"Wet the parts that touch each other with ice- water," 

" What do you do with tea-pots and coffee-pots? " 

" Scald them before you begin, and empty and wash 
and wipe them as soon as they are done with." 

" Is there anything else that you heat before using it? " 

" All sorts of tins to bake cake in." 

" What is your rule in regard to seasoning and flavor- 
ing?" 

"Better put in too little than too much; you must 
keep trying it unless there is an exact quantity men- 
tioned." 



222 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

"What must you be sure to do when you are cooking 
for sick people?" 

" Have everything ready at the time it is ordered, and 
be very neat and nice about serving it." 

" How do you keep flour jfrom getting lumpy?" 

" By mixing it very smooth, first with a little milk or 
water, and afterward adding the rest to it slowly." 

" "When you want to put eggs into boiling milk what 
do you do?" 

" Take the milk off the fire and pour it into the eggs, 
stirring them all the time." 

" "What is your rule for baking cake nicely? " 

"Not to open the oven doors any more than you can 
help after the cake is in; only you must be sure not to 
let it burn." 

" How can you keep things from burning that are on 
top of the stove?" 

"Cook them inside another thing that has boiling 
water in it." 

" When you are poaching eggs or boiling them in their 
shells, how should the water be? " 

" Only simmering and not boiling violently." 

" How can you keep Indian meal from having that raw 
taste that is so common in things made with it? " 



ATJNT jane's cooking GLASS. 223 

" By scalding the meal so that no part of it is not wet 
with the boiling milk or water." 

" How can you make pie-crust look nice and as if it had 
been freshly baked?" 

" By heating it a little in the oven just before it is sent 
to table." 

" I must say," said Aunt Jane when all these questions 
had been asked and answerea, " I think you stand ex- 
amination very well. I hope you won't let your knowl- 
edge rust out for want of practice. Now you know I've 
given you a mere sprinkling of recipes from among the 
thousands you might make if you had time and oppor- 
tunity. Is there anything else you would like to have 
directions for?" 

"Doughnuts," exclaimed two or three voices at once. 

''Fortunately," said Aunt Jane, ''I have an excellent 
recipe for them. "When I was a little girl we did'nt 
know that doughnuts could be made in any other way 
than raised with yeast; but you can make such good ones 
with soda that one does'nt miss the yeast at all, and it is 
much less trouble." 

No. 197 — Jenny's Doughnuts. 

Two cups sugar, four tablespoonfuls melted lard, four 
15 



224 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

eggs, one pint sour milk, one heaping teaspopnful soda 
and one of nntmeg; flour enough to roll out with. 

" I ought to tell you also that risen bread dough with a 
lump of butter kneaded into it makes very nice crust for 
dumplings; and in my young days we used to think that 
plain dough made into balls about the size of an apple 
and boiled a long time, made the most delicious dump- 
lings in the world when they were eaten hot with molas- 
ses." 

" Don't you think, Mrs. King," said Edith, " that it 
seems sometimes rather a pity to spend so much time and 
money on things that are used up so soon, and after all 
don't do you any more good than plain ones?" 

" If each one was cooking for herself alone I should 
think it a very poor business," answered Aunt Jane; " but 
when you think how much our social pleasure is increased 
by having nice things, and that when we make them we 
are gratifying our fathers and mothers and brothers, it 
doesn't seem so much like waste time. To enjoy cooking 
you must never think of your own satisfaction in eating 
what you make, but of the pleasure you are going to give 
others." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 225 

" I read a very funny story about a man's cooking, 
lately," said Rose. " I think any of us would have more 
sense than he did, if we are little girls." 

" What was it, my dear? " asked her aunt. 

" It was about Lord Byron and some of his friends. They 
had a receipt for a very rich plum-pudding and wanted 
to have a great treat; they were in some foreign country, 
I forget exactly where, and they had to teach their cook 
how to make this dish which he had never heard of. So 
after going to great trouble to get the materials, and fol- 
lowing the directions as precisely as they possibly could, 
finally the pudding came to table, but it was in the form 
of soup; they had forgotten the bag!" 

The girls laughed heartily at this, and at the thought 
of Lord Byron's blank face when he took off the cover 
and looked into the tureen. " Ton never gave us any 
receipt for plum-pudding, Aunt Jane," they said. 

" Any common bread-pudding may be made as rich as 
you please by adding fruit almost ad lihitura^'^ replied she. 
" Ton can just mix in currants and raisins (well washed 
and well seeded always, remember), until it looks full 
enough. A real old-fashioned plum-pudding one seldom 



226 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

sees now except at Christmas, but I can give you a very 
fine recipe for one. 

No. 198 — EusH Street Christmas Puddino. 

One and a half pounds seeded raisins, half a pound cur- 
rants, half a pound candied peel, three-quarters of a pound 
bread crumbs, three-quarters of a pound suet, eight eggs, 
one wine-glassful brandy. Mix the dry ingredients to- 
gether first, very thoroughly; then add the beaten eggs, 
then the brandy; tie tightly in a floured cloth or press 
hard into a buttered mould. Boil five or six hours the 
day before it is to be eaten, then, if in a bag, hang it up 
until all the water has drained off. The next day boil 
for two hours longer and serve with wine sauce. 

No. 199— Eve's Pudding. 

One heaping cup bread crumbs, half a pound pared 
and chopped apples, half a pound seeded and chopped 
raisins, six ounces currants, six eggs, one teaspoonful nut- 
meg, one of allspice, one of salt, one cup sugar, one glass 
brandy, half a pound suet, chopped to powder. 

" Here are some recipes for simple rice puddings that 
I don't think I have given you yet." 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 227 

No. 200 — Our Own Pudding. 

Two teacups uncooked rice, one quart milk, two eggs, 
one half cup sugar, raisins if you wish. K made with 
boiled rice the eggs may be left out. 

No. 201 — Union Paek Eice Pudding. 

One and a half teacups boiled rice, one half pint milk, 
a saltspoonfal salt, one-half cup sugar, yolks of three eggs. 
Bake only until "set." Beat the whites of the eggs to a 
froth, season with lemon, return to the oven and brown. 
To be eaten cold. 

" Then here are a few others," said Aunt Jane, " that I 
picked out as being especially good, which I want to 
give you before we close." 

No. 202 — North-Side Corn Bread. 

One cup meal, half a cup flour, one of sour milk, one 
tablespoonful melted butter, one of sugar, one teaspoonful 
soda, two eggs. 

No. 203 — Paste for Tarts. 

One and a quarter pounds butter, one and a half do. 
flour, a quarter of a pound of granulated sugar; rub all 



228 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

the butter into the flour and make into a paste with cold 
milk and one teaspoonful brandy. 

No. 204 — SrGAK Candy. 

Six cups of sugar, one of vinegar, one of water. One 
tablespoonful butter, put in at the last with one teaspoon- 
ful saleratus dissolved in hot water. Flavor to taste, and 
boil without stirring half an hour, or until it crisps in 
cold water, 

No. 205 — Coffee Cake. 

Two cups sugar, one of butter, one of molasses, one 

of strong-made coffee, four of flour, one teaspoonful 

cloves, one nutmeg, one pound of fruit, three quarters of 

a teaspoonful soda, one and a third do. cream tartar, one 

No. 206 — CocoANUT Dkops. 

One pound desiccated cocoanut, one pound fine sugar, 
the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Add the 
sugar to the eggs, then the cocoanut, and bake on but- 
tered paper. 

No. 207— Soda Biscun. 

One pound flour, two ounces butter, one ounce lard^ 
one and a half tumblerfuls sweet milk, one even teaspoon- 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 229 

fill soda, and three of cream tartar. Sift the soda and 
cream tartar with the flour and mix well; rub the bntter 
very fine through the flour, stir in the milk, then work 
lightly into shape on a floured board, roll about half an 
inch thick, cut, lay in buttered pans and bake in a quick 
oven. This may, for variety, be cut into strips an incli 
wide and as long as the pan will allow. 

" Now, girls," said Aunt Jane, " we must stop. It's 
such fascinating work to talk over these nice recipes that 
we are rather apt to let them steal away our time. This 
is the day for deciding what we shall get ready for the 
good-by tea-party for our three families and some other 
friends that mamma Yemon is going to invite in our 
honor. First, as to the drinks, we will have tea, coffee 
and chocolate. Now, what is there in the way of bread 
that we can give them ? " 

" Tea biscuit, Virginia wafers, company tea cake, Sally 
Lunns, breakfast puffs," said Grace, consulting her list. 

" I think we'll leave off those last two and have plenty 
of the others. Now, we may as well assign to each what 
she is going to make. Grace may take the biscuit and 
wafers. Rose some baking-powder biscuit, and Edith the 
tea cake. What sweet cake shall we have?" 



230 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 

" Dover cake with fruit in," cried out two or-three at 
once, remembering the birthday. 

" Then we must make it to-day, for it never ought to 
be eaten less than two days old. But we want something 
beside that rich fruit cake." 

" Chocolate cake," " sponge cake," " macaroons," "jelly 
cake," — these all at once and in a variety of voices. 

" That's enough; don't drive me wild. Sister told me 
to let you make all that you possible could, so we'll try to 
get them all in. Everybody can help Grace with the fruit 
cake, Amy can make very nice sponge cake, Jessie 
jelly cake. Rose chocolate, and Edith macaroons." 

" And what shall / do? " inquired Mabel. 

" Make us some of the best wine jelly you ever tasted. 
And as the weather is very warm just now, we musn't 
put quite so much water to it, or it won't ' stand.' '^ 

"What is nice to go with the jelly, Aunt Jane?" 

" Soft custard or whipped cream ; the cream is rather 
more attractive, I think. We'll see who has the most 
time left for it. As we want the greatest possible variety, 
there is one more thing that would look very pretty on 
the table with the jelly — chocolate meringue." 

" Oh, do let's have it," exclaimed the children. 



AUNT jane's cooking CLASS. 231 

"So we will, and now I think our list of dainties is 
full enough. We'll make the fruit cake to-day, the others 
to-morrow, except the sponge, which must be made the 
same morning; the jelly to-morrow, and the whipped 
cream and meringue the next day, so as to have them 
nice and fresh. All kinds of biscuit and tea cake, of 
course, must be made the day they are eaten." 

I wish I could tell you of the fun they all had in pre- 
paring this feast of good things, and the well-deserved 
compliments that were paid them by every one who joined 
in the repast. But as my efforts have been limited to 
giving my little readers some account of their cooking 
lessons, I must not transgress bounds by describing any 
thing outside. You can imagine for yourselves that it 
was a proud and happy day for the mothers and fathers 
of our little friends when they had such convincing proof 
of their children's progress as was afforded by the excellent 
supper prepared by them, and that the young peo- 
ple themselves, when they shall put in practice in future 
years the lessons of that happy time, will always look 
back with pleasure and gratification to the summer in 
which they were members of Aunt Jane's Cooking Class. 



232 SIX LITTLE COOKS. 



AFTEETHOUGHT. 

I am told that prefaces are out of fashion; but as I have 
something to say, — ^not to my readers, exactly, but to their 
mothers and aunts, — I have begged permission to introduce it 
here. This little volume does not profess to be a complete hand- 
book of cookery, and many topics relating to that delightful art 
are left untouched. My object is only to excite such an interest 
in the pursuit of it as may induce little people of ten or twelve 
years old to make some playful attempts at a beginning, with the 
hope that in future years they may be inclined to follow it up in 
serious earnest. 

A word as to the recipes, which have all been thoroughly tested. 

Some of them are taken from those precious old manuscript books 

which we all remember as the unfailing storehouses of good 

things; others have been contributed by the kindness of friends 

at whose tables I have enjoyed the dishes they represent; and 

for such as are due to neither of these sources, I am indebted 

principally to Mrs. Miller's charming work, **In the Kitchen,' 

and Marion Harland's admirable manual, entitled '* Common 

Sense in the Household." With these acknowledgments, which 

my conscience will not pllow me to withhold, I take my 

leave. 

The Author. 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

BISCUIT, TEA-CAKES, ETC. 

Baking Powder Biscuit 164 

Graham Biscuit 147 

SodaBiscuit 228 

Tea Biscuit 113 

Belvidere Cakes 208 

Huckleberry Cake 144 

Elmhurst Jolinny Cake 47 

Grandma's Short Cake 119 

Company Tea Cake 143 

North Side Com Bread 227 

Junkets 207 

Laplanders 14^ 

Indian Meal MufEns 147 

Charlotte Muffins 205 

Rice Muffins 205 

Popovers 9 

Graham Popovers 67 

Breakfast Puffs 67 

German Puffs 55 

Sally Lunns 148 

Virginia Waff^rs 209 

Barby's Waffles 151 

Buffalo Waffles 150 

Geneva Waffles 151 



PAOB 

BREAKFAST DISHES. 

Tossed-up Codfish 203 

Drawn Butter 204 

Corned Beef Hash 201 

Yeal Hash 46 

Mutton Rechauffe 206 

Omelette Aux fines herbes . . . 205 

Milk Omelette 204 

Plain Omelette 47 

South Side Omelette 204 

Lexington Avenue Potatoes . . 47 

Maitre D 'Hotel Potatoes 202 

Potato Puffs 202 

Chocolate 62 

CocoaSheUs 103 

Coffee 49 

Vienna Bakery Coffee 173 

Tea 105 

CAKE. 

Aurora Cake 152 

Bread Cake 146 

ChceseCako 156 

Chocolate Cake 23 



234 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Chocolate Cake No. 2 70 

Cocoanut Wafers 181 

Coffee Cake 205 

Com Starch Cake 138 

Cream Cake 70 

Daisy's Cake. 31 

Dover Cake 55 

Drop Cake 68 

Emily's Cake 137 

French Cake , 111 

Hemy Clay Cake 55 

Honey Cake 159 

JellyCake 68 

Lemon Cake 55 

Loaf Cake Ill 

Martha's Cake 190 

Molasses Cake 166 

Number Cake 71 

Nut Cake 145 

Orange Cake 70 

Poor Man's Cake 57 

Pound Cake 143 

Puff Cake 190 

Sponge Cake 24 

Mock Sponge Cake 25 

Ne Plus Ultra Sponge Cake. . 139 

Small Sponge Cakes 179 

Sugar Cakes 138 

Susan's Cake 9 

Tipsy Cake 25 

Tudor Cake 56 

Washington Cake 144 



^^ PAGE. 

Bridget's Cookies 56 

Crisp Cookies 176 

EUen's Cookie's 56 

Mother's Cookies. 176 

Plain Cookies 176 

Doughnuts 223 

Fruit Gingerbread 112 

Plain Gingerbread 112 

Sponge Gingerbread 112 

Gingerbread Nuts 158 

Ginger Snaps 54 

Lemon Jumbles 58 

Plain Jumbles 57 

Ring Jumbles 57 

Macaroons 176 

Chocolate Icing. 69 

Orange Icing _. 69 

White Icing. 69 

CONFECTIONERY. 

Butter Scotch Candy 41 

Cream Candy 39 

Chocolate and Cream Candy. . 39 

Molasses Candy 41 

Morrisville Candy 40 

SoftCandy 40 

Sugar Candy 228 

Chicago Caramels 38 

Chocolate Caramels 38 

Maple Chocolate Balls 41 



INDEX. 



235 



PAGE. 

Chocolate Creams 42 

Cocoanut Drops 39 

Sugar Drops 183 

Everton Taffy 40 

CUSTARDS, JELLIES, ETC. 

Blanc Mange 130 

Chocolate Blanc Mange 132 

Com Starch Blanc Mange. . . 132 

Farina Blanc Mange 121 

Rice Blanc Mange 97 

Tapioca Blanc Mange 133 

A Good Cream 158 

Chocolate Cream 133 

Whipped Cream 179 

Baked Custard 9 

Boiled Custard 24 

Soft Custard 25 

Orange Jelly 180 

Tapioca Jelly 98 

Wine Jelly 22 

Chocolate Meringue 131 

LUNCH DISHES. 

Chicken Croquettes 63 

Mixed Croquettes 64 

Potato Croquettes 194 

Potato Ribbon 194 

Saratoga Potatoes 63 

Stewed Sweetbreads 193 

Stuffed Eggs 108 



PAGE. 

Veal Balls 64 

Veal Loaf 110 

Coldslaw Dressing 195 

Dresden Dressing 66 

Mayonnaise Dressing 65 

Simple Salad Dressing 118 

Sandwiches 12:S 

PASTRY. 

Flaky Paste 163 

PuffPaste 77 

Paste for Tarts 227 

Cup Pie Crust 116 

Plain Pie Crust 78 

To Glaze Pastry 163 

Apple Pie 192 

Cocoanut Custard Pie 85 

CuiTant Pie 89 

CmTant and Raspbeny Tart . . 89 

Custard Pie 86 

Lemon Pie 87 

Apple Pudding 85 

Cocoanut Pudding 84 

Esther's Pudding 84 

Lemon Pudding 87 

Marlborough Pudding. ...... 86 

Orange Pudding 86 

PUDDINGS. 

Dumpling Paste 160 

Potato Paste 161 

Suet Paste 161 



236 



INDEX. 



PAGE. 

Baked Apple Dumpling 162 

Peach Dumpling 165 

Roller Dumpling 160 

Apple Charlotte 218 

Berry Pudding 31 

Bread Pudding 185 

Bread and Butter Pudding . . 185 

Cherry Pudding 81 

Cottage Pudding 215 

Eve's Pudding 226 

Plain Indian Pudding 215 

Rich Indian Pudding 215 

Suet Indian Pudding 215 

Jenny Lind's Pudding 141 

Minute Pudding 140 

Mother's Rice Pudding 212 

Our Own Pudding 226 

Queen of Puddings 134 

Rush St. Christmas Pudding 226 

Suet Pudding 214 

Tip Top Pudding 134 

Union Park Pudding 227 

Creamy Sauce 31 

Foaming Sauce 214 

French Sauce 169 



PAGE. 

Fruit- Pudding Sauce 169 

Hard Sauce 168 

Jelly Sauce 141 

Lemon Sauce 140 

Syracuse Sauce 214 

SICK ROOM COOKERY. 

Beef and Sago Broth 100 

ChickenBroth 100 

EggNog 102 

Flaxseed Lemonade 102 

Arrowroot Gruel 99 

Indian Meal Gruel 95 

Oatmeal Gruel 96 

Plain Gruel 96 

Rice Gruel 96 

Arrowroot JeUy. 99 

Imitation Asses' Milk 97 

Panada 97 

Beef Sandwiches 101 

Beefsteak Tea 101 

Louisa^s Beef Tea 94 

Mrs. Miller's Beef Tea 95 

Old Fashioned Beef Tea 94 

Toast Water : 101 



By Miss Elizabeth S. Kirkland 

A Short History of Italy. i2mo. 475 pages. $1.25. 

The general reader will find in this book perhaps the best com- 
plete account of the events that have occurred in that peninsula whose 
priceless contributions to the world's civilization make its history of 
perennial interest.— 77^^ Dial, Chicago. 

A Short History of English Literature for Young 
People. With eleven portraits. i2mo. 398 pages. 
$1.50. 

No better book could be placed in the hands of an intelligent boy 
or girl, as an introduction to a primary knowledge of the subject to 
which it is devoted. Miss Kirkland is to be complimented and con- 
gratulated on the skill and judgment with which she has performed 
her difficult task. — Bostoii Gazette. 

A Short History of England for Young People. i2mo. 

415 pages. $1.25. 

"A Short History of England" is never trite, never dull ; while 
its brief explanations of intricate systems — as, for example, the feudal 
system — and of great movements — such as the developments which 
led to the Restoration— are almost flawlessly clear.— 77^^ Evangelist^ 
New York. 

A Short History of France for Young People. i2mo. 

398 pages. $1.25. 

Miss Kirkland has admirably succeeded, in her "Short History of 
France," in making a book both instructive and entertaining. It is 
not a dry compendium of dates and facts, but a charmingly written 
history. — The Christian Union, New York. 

Six Little Cooks; or, Aunt Jane's Cooking Class. 

i2mo. 236 pages. 75 cents. 

A lucky stroke of genius, because it is a good thing well done. 
It has the charm of a bright story of real life, and is a useful essay on 
cooking. — The Times, N. Y. 

Dora's Housekeeping. i2mo. 275 pages. 75 cents. 

We cordially recommend these two books ("Dora's Housekeep- 
ing" and "Six Little Cooks") as containing almost the whole gospel 
of domestic economy. — The Natio7i, New York. 

Speech and Manners for Home and School. i2mo. 

263 pages. 75 cents. 

The author's theory of manners and speech is good. Her modest 
manual might be read, re-read, and read again with great advantage 
in most American families. — The Indepejident, New York. 



For sale by booksellers generally, or will be sent, post- 
paid, on receipt of price, by the publishers, 

A. C. McCLURG & CO., 

CHICAGO. 



THREE FRESHMEN 

BY 

JESSIE ANDERSON CHASE 



i2mo., 264 pages, ^i.oo 



** * Three Freshmen' is a refreshing story of girl life in College, told 

in a delightfully breezy manner." _, _ 

^ ■' Boston Globe 



** One of the three freshmen is from Boston, another from Virginia, 
and the third from Chicago 5 so there is variety enough to give interest to 
their meetings at Smith College. The writer differentiates the characters 
admirably, and there is a delightful sparkling gayety in her treatment of 

Dial, Chicago 



A pure, helpful story for girls of College age.** 

Sunday School Times, Philadelphia 



** It tells with spirit the story of their studies, their recreations, their 
pranks and their unselfish acts of thoughtful kindness, and into this 
varied life the reader is bound to enter heartily, because these sunny fun- 
loving girls, by their gayety and enthusiasm in every phase of college life, 

make irresistible appeals to one's sympathy." p ^, . 

^^ ^ r y Standard, Chicago 



** It is a wholesome book for the young of both sexes." 

Detroit Journal 

For sale by booksellers generally, or will be sent 
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McCLURG & CO,, Chicago, 



THE 

WIDOW O'CALLAGHAN'S 

BOYS 

BY 

GULIELMA ZOLLINGER 



Illustrated, izmo,, $1.25 



** Tears and smiles follow in quick succession as one absorbs this 
true-hearted little Irishwoman's quaint philosophizing, and sees the tactful 
way in which each boy of the seven is made to do his best, that he may 
be worthy to * sit in the father's chair.' .... This is a capital 
story and every boy in the country would do well to read it." 

Boston Budget 

** The story will interest older readers as much as children, and it 
contains many strong, sound lessons in manliness and womanliness." 

Literary Era, Philadelphia 



***Thc Widow O'Callaghan's Boys* is delightful and amusing, 
thoroughly sensible, wholesome reading, devoid of cant and heroics and 
those sins which most easily beset children's stories, and heartily to be 
commended for its sensible, truly democratic spirit." 

Milwaukee Sentinel 

** It is a gem among the many holiday volumes just now on sale 
everywhere, for it is simple, interesting, and delightful." 

Boston Times 

** The boys and girls who read it will relish every page and will 
imbibe its noble spirit inevitably, even if unconsciously," 

CONGREGATIONALIST, BoSton 



For sale by booksellers generality or will be sent 
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McCLURG y CO.y Chicago. 



Those Dale Girls 

By Frances Weston Carruth 

1 2mo, Illustrated, ^1.25 "" 

A bookseller in Faribault, Minn., who makes it a habit to read the 
books he sells, writes to the publishers: "I have no doubt you have 
received many fine testimonials for 'Those Dale Girls,' and from peo- 
ple much better able to judge than your humble servant; but I enjoyed 
the book so thoroughly, as did also three other members of my family, 
that I am tempted to add my little say also. In this day of sensational 
books and books of questionable character, it does seem good to get 
hold of a bright, clean, sparkling and all-around good story. The book 
ought to have a tremendous sale, and I am sure it will." 

" The story is a clever and entertaining narrative of the struggles 
and final triumphs of two young women who, through family mis- 
fortune, are compelled to earn their living, which they do by making 
cakes, jellies and sauces. They maintain their social status in spite of 
sneers and jibes, and the story ends with a double wedding." 

Philadelphia Inquirer 



"In 'Those Dale Girls' Frances Weston Carruth has set forth a 
bright little story that makes especial appeal to young girls, as it con- 
cerns the fortunes of two independent but lovable heroines, not too 
priggish to be good company. Under the stress of adverse fortunes 
Hester and Julie Dale turn caterers, to the consternation of their social 
' set ' and the disgust of some over-proud relatives. They are intro- 
duced to us in their prosperity, and we are permitted to journey with 
them through their trials with wedding cake and mayonnaise until they 
have a happy issue out of all their afflictions in a double wedding." 

The Detroit Free Press 

'* Frances Weston Carruth has accomplished a rare thing, having 
written a charming, sweet story for girls, which is neither inane nor 
improbable. Publishers say good stories for girls are scarce. ' Those 
Dale Girls ' ought to be in demand." Buffalo Express 



Sold by all booksellers y or mailed on receipt of price by 
the publishers^ 



A. C. McCLURG & CO., Chicago 



u, 




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